What: The current ethics laws and enforcement apparatus have become outdated. The current ethics board lacks any enforcement capability and has deliberated for more than a year on complaints with no resolution. It is time to update Yorktown’s ethics laws to ensure greater transparency, accountability and protection of Yorktown’s taxpayers.
Why: Yorktown’s Town Attorney should not be an officer of a political party and wade into potential conflicts of interest. Residents should not have to question the interests of the decisions and advice given to the town and any complaints should be deliberated as part of a system that can enforce the laws.
How: A three pronged approach to strengthen our ethics laws include instituting an Ethics Board, Conflict of Interest Board (COI) and retain an IG to give teeth to complaints that upheld. Under this proposal the Ethics Board would hear all complaints, including those referred by the COI Board and the IG would enforce any complaints that are found guilty. All guilty complaints will be made public unlike the current administration.
