CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — Chesapeake Beach is in the final stages of updates to its ethics ordinance. The goal is to update the ordinance to comply with new state law, HB834, regarding judicial relief and disclosure of conflict of interest violations.
The bill requires that ethics ordinances in the county outline processes for judicial relief violations, require that the ethics commission publicly disclose recommendations to remove commissioners based on conflict of interest violations, and include a law authorizing the removal of a county official over conflict of interest violations.
Previously, the ethics commission added to their draft the text: “The commission agrees that those who participate in contract approval imposing or extracting money, including boards, commissions and departments, should be required to disclose potential conflict of interest,” according to a reading of the minutes from the May meeting.
The commission agreed that while this included statement gave a guideline for who is subject to the conflict of interest provisions, the ordinance should include more specific criteria on who meets those guidelines.
Members of the ethics commission expressed a desire to make sure everyone who worked for or volunteered with the town was clear on where a conflict of interest may take place, who is required to disclose them and why.
A specific set of criteria on who is required will help ensure the processes are clear and provisions are followed if, at some point, a removal is initiated.
The plan is to add the criteria, put the draft through another review and then propose it to the Chesapeake Beach Town Council for adoption. The ethics commission will reconvene in July to review the final ordinance.
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