By Carol Moody Becker and Debra DeHaney-Howard
July 12, 2004

The Membership Standing Committee met on June 25 in Boston at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Conference of Mayors. Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz, Committee Chair, noted that because of the ethical challenges Mayors face each day, the agenda for the committee's meeting was designed to provide mayors with an opportunity to discuss strategies local leaders could use to think through ethical issues. In her opening remarks, Kautz said, "our job as mayors is to create a culture of ethical conduct and to ensure honesty, openness, and integrity in the cities that we govern."

When mayors take office, they go from the "I" mode of running for election to the "we" mode of governing — and this transition is made much easier with an ethics code that reflects the values of the community. Essentially, a community-based ethics code gives a mayor guidance in not only meeting the letter of the law, but also the spirit.

Former Santa Clara Mayor Judy Nadler made this observation when she addressed the Membership Committee. Now a Senior Fellow for Government Ethics at Santa Clara University, Nadler emphasized the importance of establishing an ethics code when things are going well — not after a crisis occurs, which is often due to a gradual pattern of behavior rather than a single incident.

"People don't wake up saying I want to commit a felony today. Office holders are good people. They don't start out to do the wrong thing," added Nadler whose research at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University has documented the importance of ethics — and appearances — to the public.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who practiced law for thirty-five years before taking office, told the Membership Committee that "the line is very narrow — it is one thing to feel that you are doing right, but another to have to interpret your actions constantly." Goodman pointed out that newspaper headlines tend to exaggerate, so appearances are critical.

Commenting on the legal interpretations of ethical matters, Goodman said that a judge does not look at the taking or giving of a gift for enjoyment, but rather looks for the possibility that the giver of the gift will get something in return. A case in point could be a mayor giving away free events tickets to a charity organization rather than letting them go unused.

Kautz reported on the progress of recruiting and retaining members during the past year. Kautz released a report detailing the overall status of membership. Kautz concluded the meeting by challenging Mayors to recruit one new member from State.