Resolution No. 11-18- withdrew RESOLUTION NO. 11-18
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA,
DECLARING ATLANTIC BEACH'S SUPPORT OF THE DUVAL
DELEGATION 2011 BILL J -6 RELATING TO ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY,
APPLYING IN ITS ENTIRETY TO THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH WITH
THE EXCEPTION THAT; IN ORDER TO PRESERVE ATLANTIC BEACH'S
HOME RULE AS AN INDEPENDENT MUNICIPALITY THE CITY OF
ATLANTIC BEACH SHALL ADOPT A SEPARATE CODE OF ETHICS FOR
THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH AND SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO
CHAPTER 602 ETHICS OF THE JACKSONVILLE MUNICIPAL CODE.
WHEREAS, the proper operation of responsible government requires that public
officials and employees be independent, impartial, and responsible to the people; that
government decisions and policy be made in the best interests of the people, the community and
the government; that public office not be used for personal gain, and that the public have
confidence in the integrity of its government, and
WHEREAS, public perception of our local government is at a record low, there is deep
felt, nationwide, pervasive and growing climate of mistrust for public officials with residents
feeling disengaged from their local government officials, and
WHEREAS, the lack of community education defining ethics and the expectations of
public servants increases ethical challenges, and
WHEREAS, good ethical behavior is essential to effective government operations, and
WHEREAS, local government should emphasize and enforce a high standard of ethical
expectations at all levels of public service, and
WHEREAS, the J -6 bill is the culmination of a citizen led directive with wide spread
support from citizen groups such as the Jacksonville Community Council, Women League of
Voters and the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County who in their support declared "that a
strong ethics officer is essential to a strong ethics commission and in the end it saves taxpayer
money ", and
WHEREAS, the State Ethics Commission handles certain offenses under Florida Law,
Chapter 112 and has no jurisdiction to assist local ethics commissions or to enforce local ethics
laws and an offense of a state law violation, would go to the state for handling, and a local ethics
offense would be handled here, locally, with the Duval County Ethics Commission, there is no
duplication in this area, and
WHEREAS, the training and education of Ethics translates into prevention of offenses,
and
WHEREAS, this bill strengthens an existing framework within the county government to
aide in education, intervention and investigation, which the taxpayers of Duval County are and
have been supporting for many years, and
WHEREAS, the citizens of Atlantic Beach are also citizens and taxpayers of Duval
County, have contributed taxes for many years for these services and are deserving of these same
county services, and
WHEREAS, an amendment excluding Atlantic Beach would prohibit its citizens from
utilizing these services, limiting local oversight and accountability, and
WHEREAS, the denial of the citizens of Atlantic Beach access to these services would
be tantamount to taxation without representation, and
WHEREAS, the cost burden of creating and maintaining a separate Ethics Commission,
Officer and Hotline for Atlantic Beach alone after Atlantic Beach taxpayers have already
contributed to the funding of these services at the county level would represent double taxation
and be cost prohibitive, and
WHEREAS, the County of Duval has spent over two years working on assuring the
Ethics Officer, Commission and Hotline become independent in their duties in order to provide
citizens a means to ensure their representatives are responsible to their office, duties and
constituents, and
WHEREAS, the City Ethics Office has been effective in improving ethical standards
within Jacksonville city government, and
WHEREAS, the Jacksonville Council in recognizing the importance of this issue to
providing its citizens with good and fair government passed this legislation unanimously, and
WHEREAS, the Duval Delegation supports this legislation and requested the City of
Atlantic Beach Commission consider this issue and reach a consensus.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE CITY COMMISSION ON BEHALF OF
THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH:
The City of Atlantic Beach fully supports the Duval Delegations passing of the 2011 J -6
Bill relating to Ethics, with removal of the amendment excluding Atlantic Beach from
this legislation and adopting an amendment which provides for Atlantic Beach in this
legislation and provides for each and every independent municipality within the County
of Duval's consolidated government the right to adopt and be governed by its own code
of ethics with all of the support and privileges provided by the County wide Ethics
Commission, Ethics Officer and Ethics Hot Line.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Commission of the City of Atlantic Beach this
day of February, 2011.
ATTEST:
Donna Bartle, City Clerk Mike Borno
Mayor, Presiding Officer
Approved as to form and correctness:
ALAN C. JENSEN, ESQUIRE
City Attorney
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