Councilmember Friedson to Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Ethics Law, Safeguard Public Trust

For Immediate Release: Monday, September 28, 2020

Bills would prevent County leaders from using their public positions for private gain through outside employment and end the controversial practice of severance payments

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 28, 2020—On Tuesday, Councilmember Andrew Friedson will introduce two pieces of legislation to ensure County government leaders cannot use their positions of public service for private gain, require public disclosure of outside employment income by appointed and elected officials, including the sale of books, and end the controversial practice of discretionary severance payments for County employees.

“Our only currency in public life is public trust. The residents we’re so fortunate to represent deserve and expect County leaders to follow the highest ethical standards. The work of local government depends on it,” Councilmember Friedson said. “This legislation will strengthen that trust by increasing accountability and transparency by local government leaders and ensuring all of us are committed to serve the public above all else.”

Council President Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Craig Rice, Evan Glass, and Nancy Navarro are cosponsoring both pieces of legislation.

The Public Accountability and County Transparency (PACT) Act, Bill 42-20, would:

• Define the sale or promotion of intellectual property such as books, videos and artwork as other employment in County Ethics Law, requiring financial disclosure;
  
• Prohibit the Chief Administrative Officer from other employment;
  
• Prohibit a County employee who in the previous year was compensated by a company seeking to do business with the County from participating in any way in that procurement process;
  
• Require a County employee involved in the procurement process who before the previous year was compensated by a company seeking to do business with the County to disclose that prior relationship to the procurement supervisor;
  
• Require non-merit employees and elected officials to include in financial disclosures sources of fees of more than $1,000 in other employment, with some exceptions;
  
• Require the disclosure of proposed contracts for appointed non-merit positions to the Council at time of appointment; and
  
• Require the disclosure of contracts for current non-merit employees in Council-confirmed positions.

Bill 43-20, Non-merit Employees – Merit System Employees – Severance Pay – Limited, would end the practice of using taxpayer dollars to compensate public employees in the unregulated and often undisclosed fashion of discretionary severance pay. It also would prohibit separation pay for an employee who admits to violating, or is found to have violated, the County’s Ethics Law in the year prior to separation.

This legislation is the latest in Councilmember Friedson’s leadership on improving transparency and ethical standards in County government. In October 2019, the Council approved landmark legislation sponsored by Councilmember Friedson and his Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee colleagues Council President Katz and Councilmember Navarro that requires proactive spending reviews in all County departments and offices on a systematic basis. Councilmember Friedson and his GO Committee colleagues have also increased support for the County’s Office of the Inspector General.

The public hearings for both bills are scheduled for October 20, 2020 at 1:30 p.m.

Bill 42-20 can be viewed here and Bill 43-20 can be viewed here.

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Release ID: 20-378
Media Contact: Aaron Kraut 240-777-7962