(12/1) During the November 27 Thurmont town meeting, the Board of Commissioners discussed proposed amendments to the town’s ethics ordinance. Amendments must be made in order to remain in equivalence with the state provisions.

In 2010 municipalities were required to adopt local ethics laws that included conflicts of interest and financial disclosures that were equivalent to the state provisions. Thurmont adopted its ethics ordinance law and the Ethics Commission approved the law as being in compliance with the Maryland Public Ethics Law in 2014. Thurmont’s Chief Financial Officer, Linda Joyce, briefed the Board on the changes that were recently mandated to the county and municipal ethics laws.

Requirements under the state’s ethics law are changing and modifications have been made to the Maryland Public Ethics Law, some of which include changes to local government ethics laws. Those changes include additional disclosures of state elected officials that local governments must incorporate into their ethics ordinance for their elected officials.

Four amendments were proposed as follows. Officials may not lobby until one calendar year after leaving office. Members of the Board of Commissioners may not assist another member for compensation for a matter that is subject to legislative action. Secondly, effective January 1, the Commission may not provide public access to the portion of a financial disclosure statement that includes an individual’s home address. For governments with lobbying provisions, such as Thurmont, a former lobbyist who is or becomes subject to this chapter as an employee or official other than an elected official or appointed official may not participate in a case, contract or other matter as an employee or official other than an elected or appointed official for one calendar year after the termination of the registration of the former lobbyist if the former lobbyist previously assisted another party for compensation. Lastly, also effective January 1, if the filer’s spouse is a regulated lobbyist they must disclose the entity that has engaged the spouse to lobby.

The amendments as proposed, if adopted, will bring the town into compliance with the newly adopted state ethics law amendments. The town must at least be equivalent to these laws. The Board will vote on this matter during the December 4 meeting.