Supervisors Are Back on Reform Track : Tougher Ethics Standards Were Needed; Wide-Ranging Policy Is a Welcome Start

The Board of Supervisors got their worthwhile reform campaign back on track last week with the passage of a new ethics code that held a mirror up to themselves and limited lobbying by former public officials.

At first, it appeared that a new ethics code being proposed by county counsel would be too weak. That is, it would have allowed a continuation of the “revolving door,” where former county employees returned immediately to lobby those they had worked for. And using the dubious logic that there already were many state and local laws governing ethical conduct by government employees, the original report to the board proposed no new restrictions on supervisors.

But under pressure from the county’s dogged cadre of ethical reformers, the supervisors ultimately adopted a wide-ranging ethics code that applies to all government employees and to themselves, adding the last-minute provision that bars any former county official from lobbying county government for one year.

These reforms are needed. The concerns of the activists that tougher standards were needed were well founded. There is ample evidence in Orange County history and development of coziness between public officials and those with business before the county. “Arms-length” has not been an operative style of governance traditionally.

But credit the supervisors with being increasingly concerned in recent years about the perception of scandal, which was highlighted in the embarrassing resignation of former supervisor Don Roth, who left office under pressure weeks before he was convicted of seven misdemeanor counts of violating financial disclosure and conflict-of-interest laws. Moreover, public disgust with the cynicism of public officials in general has reached new highs across the country in recent years.

The board has been on a commendable cleanup campaign of late, having adopted in May the strictest ban in California on gifts to county employees. And last year, the board adopted an ordinance limiting to $1,000 the amount of money anyone could contribute to campaigns for candidates to certain elective county offices. The gift ban followed revelations that Roth accepted numerous gifts, meals, vacations and deferred rent on a home from people and companies with business before the county, then voted on their projects.

The new code might have been strengthened with some meaningful criminal sanctions for violations. But pulling together needed reforms in a new policy is a welcome start.