STRICTER ETHICS ORDINANCE PROPOSED BY MAYOR

SOMERVILLE

– Strengthening the City of Somerville’s commitment to open government and transparency,

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has filed a proposed expansion of the City’s ethics

ordinance that would require elected officials to file disclosures of their

communications with any person or representative seeking a permit or license from

the City in connection with the permit or license.

The

amendment to the City’s ethics ordinance, titled “Standards of Conduct for City

Employees Relative to Improper Influence,” would also require the Board of

Aldermen and School Committee to file disclosures of communications with City

employees outside of public meetings that are about pending or reasonably

anticipated permit or license applications; pending or reasonably anticipated

citations, sanctions or legal violations; and personnel matters including

hirings, promotions and disciplinary matters. All required disclosures would be

due within three business days of the communication.

The expanded ordinance also

prohibits communications between elected officials and members of a City Board

or Commission regarding the substance of a permit or license’s approval,

denial, modification or termination unless in a public hearing or meeting,

except as allowed by the City Charter or state law. Members of the Board of

Aldermen and School Committee would also be prohibited from directing

non-elected City employees with respect to their official responsibilities,

except as otherwise allowed by City Charter or state law.

In

expanding the rigor of the City’s ethics ordinance to require these

disclosures, members of the public would know that City employees and board and

commission members are able to carry out their duties unfettered by political

influence.

“We document everything that

passes through City Hall. Whether a request about parking tickets or permit

applications, everything is available to the public. We must make that the law

for every elected official,” said Mayor Curtatone. “We will ensure

accountability and equal access to city government. The public should have

confidence that everyone receives equal treatment by the City—not based on who

they know, but on the merits of their request or application. We are already a

model for the Commonwealth in myriad areas. We will be a model for the

Commonwealth in openness and transparency too.”

Disclosures would be filed by

members of the Board of Aldermen and School Committee on a standard form to the

City Clerk; the Mayor’s disclosures would be retained in the Mayor’s Office.

The disclosures would include a description of the subject matter of the

communication, a summary, and the medium, time and date of the communication.

The tougher ethics requirements

proposal, first announced in Mayor Curtatone’s January 2014 inaugural address

and submitted to the Board of Aldermen today, follows Mayor Curtatone’s

proposal in May 2013 to set stricter

standards on campaign contributions to elected

officials from anyone who does business with the City.