Ethics: With or without a manual

The new “policies and procedures manual” approved by the Kalispell City Council seems to be a good start.

The 10-page manual is meant to help orient new council members and serve as an ethics code. It covers basic levels of legal and ethical standards.

However, the final Kalispell document did have some glaring omissions. Removed from the policy was a mandate that council members disclose businesses and other professional entities in which they hold an ownership interest; past or present employers from whom they are receiving benefits; and entities for which they are officers, directors or registered agents.

These are pretty important elements for voters to consider. Certainly, if those in government positions expect to have any credibility as representatives of the people, it’s important to disclose any potential conflicts.

Nonetheless, while this clause would have been a welcome addition (perhaps it can be included in a future revision of the ethics policy), it’s praiseworthy to note that the council has taken a big step forward in what it has produced so far in its policy manual.

The reality of representative government, however, is that it doesn’t take a formal ethics policy or some convoluted legal ordinance for a public servant to be transparent and honest.

If a council member has a conflict of interest or a past association or business connection involving business before the city, all it takes is for that council member to admit it and be up front about it.

That’s the essence of disclosure whether or not it’s required by ordinance.

The importance of disclosure isn’t limited to the Kalispell City Council either. Other local boards ranging from the county commissioners to planning boards ought to heed the spirit of openness, too.

Let’s face it: In a community that’s still as small as ours, leaders are likely to have a host of connections that surface as part of public business. The public should expect that those connections are visible.

 As a community and as elected officials, we all need to do a better job being transparent when government is conducting the people’s business.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.