JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Council members will discuss Monday how the city investigates reported ethics complaints as two bills are being considered in Tallahassee that would take away much of the “local control” that allows governments to investigate such complaints.
If Senate Bill 7014 and House Bill 1597 move forward, members of the ethics committee would no longer be able to initiate independent investigations. SB 7014 already passed unanimously on Feb. 1, while HB 1597 is still under review.
Jacksonville’s leaders say there is no need for either of the bills, and several City Council members oppose them outright.
They say the bills strip local and state ethics committees of their authority to hold people accountable who might have violated the rules of working with or for the government.
Right now, the ethics commission can initiate an investigation if it receives an anonymous complaint. But if the bills pass, someone will need to have “direct knowledge” of a possible ethics violation and give a sworn statement about what they know, which takes away the protection that comes with an anonymous report.
This means only the violator or an eyewitness to the violation would be able to report an issue to the ethics commission.
City Councilman Matt Carlucci, a Republican, released a statement condemning the legislation.
It is beyond disappointing—it’s infuriating—to see the legislative bodies we trusted to protect and serve the public interest now orchestrating efforts to erode the very mechanisms designed to ensure accountability and transparency…I am appalled by this regressive maneuver and the potential it has to undo decades of progress in ethical oversight….We must rally together to oppose this legislation, reaffirming our commitment to ethics, integrity, and the public trust that forms the bedrock of our democracy.”
Matt Carlucci
Mayor Donna Deegan, a Democrat, agreed with Carlucci, saying that she doesn’t support changes that would weaken ethics investigations.
“I think it’s important to have more transparency, not less,” Deegan said. “So, I appreciate Matt’s comments and I think that’s been right in line with what Matt has been saying for years and years. And he’s right, I would not like to see us diminish our ethics rules. I’d like to see them strengthened.”
Jacksonville’s Ethics Commission will discuss both bills at 4 p.m. Monday at City Hall.