Chartering A New Course
This Thursday in our workshop session one of the items up for discussion is the City Charter. I requested this session to once again voice my concerns about the conflict of interest issues pertaining to a sitting Council member being awarded construction contracts by the City. There are numerous reasons this practice gives me heartburn the main one being the impact it can have on the public’s perception of the Council. It is a fact that perception is reality in the minds of the voters. If it looks likes a fish, swims like a fish and more importantly smells like a fish then a fish it is. It doesn’t really matter if it is actually a fish or not. It appears as one and thus it is. The practice doesn’t look right. It just looks plain fishy.
I started a new book today called “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen Covey. At the beginning of the book the author writes “There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organization, nation, economy, and civilization – one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love. On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life. Yet, it is the least understood, most neglected and most underestimated possibility of out time. That one thing is trust.”
I firmly believe that the foundation by which governments works best is based on trust. Elected officials should do everything and anything within their power to ensure that nothing hinders their reputation or trustworthiness. The black and white areas are fairly easy to discern and avoid. However, it is the grey but legal areas that cause people to question the ethics of the elected officials.
Tags: City Charter, Conflict of Interest, Ethics