PHX Reporter

On June 29, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced she is launching the application and appointment process for the City of Phoenix Ethics Commission.

The Phoenix City Council approved the establishment of a City of Phoenix Ethics Commission in 2017 with the purpose of investigating allegations of ethical violations and enforcing the City’s ethics policies. The charge of the Ethics Commission is to initiate proceedings, conduct an initial evaluation, and if necessary, investigate, proceed with a formal hearing, and recommend action to the Mayor and City Council related to alleged ethics or gift policy violations by a Council member or a City of Phoenix board, commission, committee, or task force member.

“Governments function best with oversight and public input, which is why I’ve long been in favor of standing up our city’s Ethics Commission,” said Gallego. “Our constituents elected us to serve them, and the Ethics Commission is an important accountability tool that will make our city more transparent to its citizens."

Per ordinance, the Ethics Commission shall consist of five members: two who are registered members of the Democratic Party, two who are registered members of the Republican Party, and one who is registered with no party affiliation. Each will serve no more than one five-year term, except one Democratic member and one Republican member who will serve an initial term of three years.  

The application is now open and accepting candidates through July 31, 2023.

New candidates will be reviewed by the Judicial Selection Advisory Board, which will then recommend candidates for consideration by the Phoenix City Council. The five Ethics Commission nominees must be approved by the affirmative vote of seven members of the City Council.

Original source can be found here.