DeKalb voters are once again voting on revisions to an Ethics Act passed in 2015 by 92% of voters. This time, leaders of several DeKalb citizens’ groups are encouraging you to vote yes.  Here are the reasons why:

• The Board of Ethics remains independent; no one under the purview of the Board of Ethics is making appointments to the board.

Unlike the 2019 bill, this bill does not provide for the CEO to make a Board of Ethics appointment and does not call for the board to submit its policies and procedures to review by the CEO and confirmation by the Board of Commissioners.

• DeKalb employees continue to have direct access to the ethics office to express concerns about ethics violations.

Unlike the 2019 bill, this bill does not require employees to funnel complaints about their immediate supervisor through the Human Resources Department and exhaust Merit System remedies before turning to the Board of Ethics.

• The position of Ethics Officer is retained, and the Ethics Officer is still vested with the authority to investigate and file ethics complaints, as well as provide training and advice to county employees.
• The board’s authority to investigate and report to the public has not been weakened.

The 2019 bill included a provision that required the Board of Ethics to abandon the investigation of elected officials or county employees if they resigned, retired or completed their term of office. The 2019 bill included a provision that prevented the board from rendering any decision on a complaint against a candidate within 45 days of an election.