2014_1112_Ethics Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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4. Ethics Environment A local government's ethics environment is very important to the success of a local ethics program. The values, unwritten rules, and situational forces of a government organization can make it hard for an official to act responsibly. Or they can make it very easy. A good, comprehensive ethics program that has the full support of most high-level officials makes it hard for an official to misuse his office to help himself or others. A poor ethics environment makes an official feel like a chump if he doesn't misuse his office. The principal characteristic of a healthy ethics environment is leadership, both in the bovernment and in the coinmunity. A healthy ethics environment is breatly facilitated by leaders who believe that citizens' trust in government is of paramount importance and who do what they can to help government of$cials and employees, as well as those who do business with the local bovernment, deal responsibly with conflict situations. Good leaders encourage the open discussion of the ethics aspects of every matter. As �vith professional discussions of the best wa�r to provide waste removal or to preserve open spaces, all officials and employees must know that they may openly and honestly discuss possible conflicts (theirs and others') and disagree with their colleagues and supervisors over how to handle them responsibly. This rarely occurs without the full support of govermnent leaders. In a good ethics environment, leaders are not afraid of an independent ethics program, because they understand that the best way to prevent investigations and ethics proceedinbs is to do everythinb possible to prevent officials and employees froin actinb in ways that create an appearance of impropriety. The best way to do that is through training, advice, and open discussion, not the prevention or crushing of an ethics probram. A lack of ethics complaints is often considered to be the inark of a good ethics environment. It is not. Individuals, and especially bovernment employees, are less likely to file ethics coinplaints when they believe an ethics program is not fair, is too weak or politicized, or is not supported by bovernment and community leaders. An ethics program that is controlled by politicians does not earn the public's respect. People do not believe it is worth the bother, or the risk, to file a valid complaint when, at best, nothing will come of it and, at worst, there will be retaliation against them. 23