A Union Commission member proposed a new ethics policy regarding financial contribution disclosure for electoral candidates during a commission meeting on Monday.
This followed a discussion from earlier this month when commissioner Brian Garner addressed concerns about ethics and transparency for future candidates and elected members of the commission.
During that meeting, he said he believed there should be some form of policy in place for members of the commission to disclose contributions they’ve received from any party seeking business with the commission and the city.
At Monday’s meeting, Garner said he plans on introducing new legislation that would implement a new ethics policy for the commission.
Garner brought up Florence and Walton’s Code of Ethics, both having policies in place for city officials and employees that require disclosure of financial contributions from any outside parties doing business with the city. Both cities have sections regarding financial conflicts of interest as well.
The topic has caused debate, with most of the board feeling a new policy being added is unnecessary.
Mayor Larry Solomon addressed some of the issues that Garner brought up from the last meeting.
In the previous meeting, Garner made this statement:
“Let’s say McDonald’s gives somebody $1,000, and they’re just a candidate,” Garner said. “Then they get elected, and then next year McDonald’s comes and says, ‘hey, we want a zoning approval for this drive thru.’ Right now, the way it sits, the person wouldn’t have to say a peep. And they could still vote on it, and they would be compliant with our ethics.”
Regarding that statement, Solomon said that statewide campaign law prevents businesses from contributing to campaigns.
“I mean, you can’t get a donation from a corporation, but you can get a donation from a member of a corporation, a member of a corporation and their wife, a member of a corporation and their son, a member of a corporation and their daughter,” Garner said in response to Solomon.
Solomon said there isn’t a need for a new policy because all contributions to a candidate are public record and can be easily accessed on the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance website.
“If people want to know that, that information is available at their fingertips. I’m going to vote how I’m going to vote because we all as colleagues assume that we’re going to all do the right thing all the time,” commissioner Doug Bine said. “We all have integrity; integrity is doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking.”
Bine also said that he believes implementing a policy to disclose contributions would only create more problems.
“Joe Blow gives me $500, and then an issue comes up that involves him, and I say, you know, he gave me $500, but I still vote in his favor.” Bine said. “Not because it’s him, but because it’s right for the city. But then somebody else in the audience goes, you did that because he gave you money and then it causes me problems.”
While Garner and his fellow commissioners are all running for re-election, he said he wants to implement this policy for future commissioners as well and that it is in the best interest of the city.
