City Hall
Ethics Director Proposes Independent Oversight
City of Seattle Ethics director Wayne Barnett has proposed creating a new, independent ombudsman in the ethics office to help citizens resolve their disputes with city departments over public records requests or issues with public meetings. The position would be similar to Washington State AG Rob McKenna's open government ombudsman
, who helps citizens and agencies with open meetings and public records compliance.
Last week, I editorialized about a records request I made for text messages between Mayor Mike McGinn and City Council member Mike O'Brien in the days leading up to O'Brien's flip-flop on the controversial panhandling legislation. (O'Brien initially opposed, then supported, and finally voted against the legislation; McGinn's lobbying, which included a long series of text messages , helped dismantle a veto-proof majority and ultimately kill the legislation).
Electronic messages between elected officials, including emails and texts, are supposed to be public, the city attorney's office confirms. However, the only response I got to my request was a single page of McGinn's cell phone bill indicating that he texted O'Brien 19 times over two days preceding the vote, not the texts themselves. My recourse, like that of all citizens denied public records, is to complain to the city attorney—who represents city officials, including McGinn and O'Brien—and hope for the best.
If the city decided to create an ombudsman position—not likely at the moment, given the budget shortfall, but perhaps in the future—citizens like me would have an independent advocate at the city who would not be beholden to any city agency.
"We’re the only truly independent agency that has the capacity to do this kind of work," Barnett said at the commission's meeting last month. "The city attorney’s office ultimately represents the agencies that are withholding records. The Citizens Service Bureau are ultimately answerable to the executive. That’s the baggage they bring to the decisions they make."
"I believe our independence would bolster the advice we gave on these kinds of issue."
But commissioner Bill Sherman said he saw some "potential downsides" to Barnett's proposal. "Really, it would make the commission no longer the ethics and elections and lobbying commission, it would make it the transparency commission."
Last week, I editorialized about a records request I made for text messages between Mayor Mike McGinn and City Council member Mike O'Brien in the days leading up to O'Brien's flip-flop on the controversial panhandling legislation. (O'Brien initially opposed, then supported, and finally voted against the legislation; McGinn's lobbying, which included a long series of text messages , helped dismantle a veto-proof majority and ultimately kill the legislation).
Electronic messages between elected officials, including emails and texts, are supposed to be public, the city attorney's office confirms. However, the only response I got to my request was a single page of McGinn's cell phone bill indicating that he texted O'Brien 19 times over two days preceding the vote, not the texts themselves. My recourse, like that of all citizens denied public records, is to complain to the city attorney—who represents city officials, including McGinn and O'Brien—and hope for the best.
If the city decided to create an ombudsman position—not likely at the moment, given the budget shortfall, but perhaps in the future—citizens like me would have an independent advocate at the city who would not be beholden to any city agency.
"We’re the only truly independent agency that has the capacity to do this kind of work," Barnett said at the commission's meeting last month. "The city attorney’s office ultimately represents the agencies that are withholding records. The Citizens Service Bureau are ultimately answerable to the executive. That’s the baggage they bring to the decisions they make."
"I believe our independence would bolster the advice we gave on these kinds of issue."
But commissioner Bill Sherman said he saw some "potential downsides" to Barnett's proposal. "Really, it would make the commission no longer the ethics and elections and lobbying commission, it would make it the transparency commission."
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