COLUMBUS – Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther made good on a campaign promise Tuesday, issuing an executive order establishing a new ethics policy for administration officials and employees.
During the 2015 mayoral election, Columbus City Hall was rocked by a scandal involving city officials and a lobbyist for a company that sold red light cameras to the city.
The first executive order of Ginther’s term in office addresses changes to ethics ordinances and contains two key components: Prohibiting conduct related to ethics and requiring more officials to file financial disclosure reports than are currently required by state law, Ginther said.
Read the order, “Ethics and Conduct: Accountability and Integrity for Effective Governance”
“Leaders must be held to the highest standards because public trust isn’t something that’s given – it’s earned,” Ginther said. “During my campaign, I promised ethics reform, so it is fitting that my first Executive Order delivers on that commitment.
Though not required by state law, the mayor’s chief of staff, deputy chiefs of staff, department directors and deputies, chief ethics officer and other senior must file financial disclosure statements Ginther says mirrors those required by the Ohio Ethics Commission, with the addition of a requirement to report gifts over $75 from certain individuals who conduct business with the city.
The order takes effect immediately, Ginther said.