Jackson County seeks new members for its Ethics Commission

CONTACTS:
David Warm, Executive Director, 816/474-4240

Jody Ladd Craig, Public Affairs Director, jcraig@marc.org, 816/701-8241

Jackson County seeks new members for its Ethics Commission
The Jackson County Ethics Commission is currently seeking applications for five open positions on the commission. The commission receives complaints about and investigates alleged violations of provisions pertaining to conflicts of interest, financial interest disclosure, and lobbying registration and disclosure of the county and the state of Missouri. Applications will be accepted through February.

The county’s charter names a three-person selection committee from the community to oversee the selection of new members of the ethics commission. Those are the executive director of the Mid-America Regional Council, the dean of the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at UMKC, and the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City. These committee members occupy roles that are intended to provide broad community perspectives and are independent of the Jackson County government.

Applications can be made online at www.jacoethicsselection.org and criteria for selection can also be found on the same site. Applicants must meet the requirements of the Jackson County Charter that limit involvement in other county affairs and certain political roles and activities. Complete information about the commission's duties can be found on the site described in the county’s Home Rule Charter. Commissioners must be willing to submit a financial disclosure form in advance of appointment and to file periodic updates as may be necessary.

In addition, applicants should:

have a reputation in the community that engenders public confidence and demonstrates integrity, fairness and the ability to uphold the public trust
be comfortable working in the public eye
be able to make independent judgments
be effective in group decision-making processes
have experience working on a civic or other board

In selecting commissioners, the Selection Committee will consider:

As required by the Charter, no more than three members of the Commission may be from the same political party.
The commission should achieve balanced racial, gender and geographic representation.
Commission members should collectively have a range of skills and perspectives. It is desirable that one or more Commissioners have legal expertise, although other professional perspectives should also be represented. It is also desirable that one or more Commissioners have experience in public service or be familiar with public organizations.

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NOTE: This release is being sent out on behalf of the Jackson County Ethics Selection Committee courtesy of the MARC Public Affairs Office.