The DC Council is set to cast its first vote today on the ethics reform legislation proposed by Muriel Bowser (Ward 4) and passed by the Government Operations Committee yesterday. It contains some positive changes, including the establishment of a separate Ethics Board. By unifying the administration of our currently scattered ethics regulations, the Board will be a vital element in making our ethics code enforceable. However, for the Board to be effective, it must be truly independent and properly managed and staffed. A Board with three members appointed by the Mayor for 3-year terms is not independent. We need a larger board of at least 7 members that includes nominees by the Attorney General and community organizations, who will be confirmed by the Council and whose terms are at least 5 years in order to cross administrations. We also need the Board to be managed by a strong Director who oversees an adequate staff. While this will require funding, restoring public confidence in our government is a sound investment.

We also hope that the full Council will consider imposing a ban on the outside employment of Council members. Serving both the public interest of DC residents and a private employer poses too many conflicts of interest. While taking leave of absence from one’s career is a sacrifice, there are many benefits from public service which make the latter more than worthwhile. The fact that a majority of current Council members do not have outside employment demonstrates the viability of this policy.

Finally, we urge the Council to consider reducing the outsized role of private money in politics, including banning private monies for official travel, banning contributions by entities with business before the city, reducing contribution limits, and eliminating Constituent Services Funds. While Council members may believe that the role of money is inescapable, the public still holds to democratic ideals. We are deeply concerned that our democracy is in danger of replacing the principle of “one person, one vote” with the reality of “one dollar, one vote.” We will be watching this vote on ethics reform carefully to see which elected officials understand these concerns and vote to safeguard our democracy.