DeKalb ethics reboot to be decided in Tuesday election
A question on the ballots of DeKalb County voters could result in a substantial overhaul of the county ethics board.
If a majority votes yes, DeKalb's CEO and commission would lose their ability to appoint the panel responsible for overseeing their behavior. Instead, board members would be chosen by various community organizations.
In addition, the board's power to remove elected officials from office would be eliminated, but it would gain the ability to issue $1,000 fines.
Other provisions of the measure include hiring a full-time ethics officer and expanding the board's jurisdiction to cover all government employees, appointed officials and contractors.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
