Long Beach Municipal Code Art. XXIV Ethics Commission

An Ethics Commission is hereby created.

(Added by Meas. CCC, 11-6-2018, eff. 12-11-2018)

(a) The Ethics Commission shall be composed of seven residents of the City of Long Beach. No member of the Commission, during his or her term, shall:

(1) currently hold elective office in the City of Long Beach, including the Long Beach Unified School District Board or the Long Beach Community College Board of Trustees;

(2) serve as an officer in any election campaign for or against a candidate for any current elected office in the City of Long Beach, Long Beach Unified School District or the Long Beach Community College District, or any City or District measure;

(3) be an employee of the City;

(4) employ or be employed as a person required to register as a lobbyist with the City of Long Beach.

(b) Members Appointed by the Mayor and City Auditor.

(1) The Mayor shall appoint two (2) members who have represented local civic organization(s) with a demonstrated history of involvement in local governance;

(2) The City Auditor shall appoint two (2) members who have a background in public policy or public law, governmental ethics or open government matters, campaign finance, auditing of compliance with ethics laws, protection of whistleblowers, or technology as it relates to open government.

(3) The appointments made by the Mayor and City Auditor shall be agendized for confirmation by the City Council.

(c) Members Appointed by the Commission. The three (3) members of the Commission not appointed by the Mayor and City Auditor shall be appointed, following a public recruitment and application process, by the affirmative vote of at least three members of the Commission.

Any member so appointed shall reflect the interests of the greater Long Beach neighborhood, non-profit and business communities.

(d) Term of Office.

(1) The term of office for members of the Commission shall be four (4) years. No member shall serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (d)(1) of this Section, the two (2) members first appointed by the Mayor and the two (2) members first appointed by the City Auditor shall serve for an initial two (2) year term. Members serving an initial two (2) year term shall be eligible for re-appointment to one (1) additional four (4) year term.

(e) Vacancies. Appointments to fill vacancies on the Commission shall be made within sixty (60) days of the position becoming vacant. A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled by the same person (Mayor or Auditor) or the Commission who made the initial appointment, using the same method and procedure utilized for the initial Commission member appointment. Appointments to fill vacancies shall be for the unexpired term of the member whom the appointee succeeds. A vacancy or vacancies shall not impair the right of the remaining members to exercise the powers of the Commission.

(f) Quorum. A majority of members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, and the affirmative vote of at least a majority of members shall be required to take any action.

(Added by Meas. CCC, 11-6-2018, eff. 12-11-2018)

The Ethics Commission shall have responsibility for the impartial and effective administration and implementation of the provisions of the Charter, statutes and ordinances concerning campaign financing, lobbying, conflicts of interest and governmental ethics.

The City Ethics Commission shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

(a) to provide support to agencies and public officials in administering the provisions of the Charter and other laws relating to campaign finance, conflicts of interest and governmental ethics;

(b) to make recommendations to the Mayor and the City Council concerning campaign finance reform, lobbying, governmental ethics and conflicts of interest and to report to the Council concerning the effectiveness of these laws;

(c) to assist departments in developing their conflict of interest codes as required by state law;

(d) to advocate understanding of the Charter, City ordinances and the roles of elected and other public officials, City institutions and the City electoral process;

(e) to develop an educational program to familiarize newly elected and appointed officers and employees, candidates for elective office and their campaign treasurers, and lobbyists with City, state and federal ethics laws and the importance of ethics to the public's confidence in municipal government;

(f) such other duties as may be established by this Charter or the Municipal Code.

(Added by Meas. CCC, 11-6-2018, eff. 12-11-2018)

Staffing for administrative and management functions of the Commission will be addressed in the Municipal Code. The Commission will have a budget, as determined by the City Council, sufficient to conduct the Commission's mission and business.

(Added by Meas. CCC, 11-6-2018, eff. 12-11-2018)

The Commission may adopt, amend and rescind rules and regulations, subject to City Council approval, to carry out the purposes and provisions of the Charter and ordinances of the City relating to campaign finance, conflicts of interest, lobbying, and governmental ethics and to govern procedures of the Commission.

(Added by Meas. CCC, 11-6-2018, eff. 12-11-2018)