Published: Thursday, December 3, 2009 6:49 PM CST
Keeping a promise made to the Grand Jury and the public, the Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting public officials from using county resources, including the influence of their positions, for personal gain.
Various state laws and county ordinances and policies address this issue. However, in its final report released in July, the 2008-2009 San Bernardino County Grand Jury recommended that the Board of Supervisors amend the County Code of Ethics to prohibit public officials from using their public offices or positions for personal gain.
The Board took that recommendation one step further Tuesday, cementing that clause not only in the Code of Ethics but giving it the force of an ordinance. This gives the Board the legal basis it would need to take action against violators.
“The Board of Supervisors once again has made it clear that it won’t tolerate any abuse of power or misuse of the public’s resources,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Gary Ovitt.
The ordinance will become part of a larger ordinance passed by the Board in 2002 to clarify the instances in which the Board could exercise its authority under the County Charter to remove an elected official from office.
http://www.highlandnews.net/articles/2009/12/03/news/this_weeks_news/doc4b185968d8970156339744.txt
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