By Jim Condos, Vermont’s Secretary of State Vermonters deserve good government - and that includes an open and transparent government! By and large, Vermont is well served by our dedicated public servants. Most of our elected state and local officials are trustworthy, dedicated and passionate individuals working to do right by their constituents. However, corruption can exist, and in small doses it can be just as corrosive to our democracy as any prominent scandal, undermining the public trust.
The public’s access to open and transparent government is key to our democracy.
This sacred trust must not be taken lightly. We must restore that accountability or risk Vermonters’ faith in our ability to govern.
Over the last 4 years, my VT Transparency Tour has visited over 30 locations around Vermont explaining VT’s Open Meeting and Access to Public Records laws. Several hundred Vermonters have heard my call for more transparency in government and how that leads to increased accountability. Is that enough? No.
Just in the last few years, Vermonters have read of allegations of ethical issues for some of our elected officials. These complaints cross all party lines.
My office receives calls almost every week about municipal officials, alleging conflicts of interest and other ethically suspect actions. By statute, the Secretary of State has no authority to receive, investigate or enforce these complaints. The result? These citizens come away from the process feeling frustrated, helpless and increasingly cynical.
The time HAS come to create an independent ethics commission to address complaints from the Legislative, Executive, and Municipal sections of government.
Vermont is one of only 3 states nationwide without an Ethics Commission. The 2012 Center for Public Integrity ranking of the states had Vermont with an overall grade of D+, in large part because we do not have an authoritative ethics commission or the required financial disclosures existing in nearly every other state. Vermont can and must do better!
The time has come for Vermont to enact a clear ethics law which includes a code of ethics, conflicts of interest, and financial disclosure for our elected officials.
This independent body should be empowered to fairly and impartially field complaints from the public to determine if a violation has occurred in the areas of conflict of interest, campaign finance, or financial disclosure. This Ethics Commission must also have the authority to enforce those laws.
This will require a budget and a small staff to be effective, but these investments will be a small price to pay for a more accountable government and a place where affected Vermonters can seek redress.
This is not a new issue – in fact, I have spoken on this topic many times over the last five years. I often hear that we are a small state and are not affected by such things, but frankly, that is not good enough.
Will establishing an ethics committee suddenly provide government a moral compass? Certainly not, but it will be a step in the right direction and will shine a brighter light on better transparency and accountability.
It’s about time we move Vermont forward – let’s do this!