Neugent may seek change to county’s ethics rules

By Steve Estes

District Two County Commissioner George Neugent says he plans to ask his fellow commissioners to amend, clarify, change or whatever is necessary to at least partially exempt the county attorney and county administrator from the county’s ethics rules.

He particularly wants to make sure the two, particularly County Administrator Roman Gastesi, are able to continue to make public appearances on behalf of the county at functions where their meals or other incidentals may be provided gratis.

The need, says Neugent, stems from a series of recent chastisements from State Attorney Dennis Ward.

Ward campaigned, and handily won the race, on making government accountable to the people, on a promise to ferret out illegal and unethical behavior.

He admonished county commissioners last year for attending the annual Ocean Reef dinner because more than one elected official appears at the same venue without public notice, and the general public isn’t invited to the gated community soiree.

He admonished them again this year, but three attended, including Neugent, and took Gastesi with them.

Ward has said that Gastesi’s attendance is a violation of the county ethics policy which stipulates that county employees and staff may not accept any gifts or gratuities, and the free dinner is just that.

“Roman can’t do his job under those conditions,” said Neugent. “He is asked by community groups all the time to come and speak at a function. Typically, they comp the meal. Under these parameters, that’s a violation of the ethics policy.”

Neugent said it would be more in the county’s interest to tweak the ethics policy to ensure that there is no violation that to have Gastesi stop all those speaking engagements.

Neugent and Mayor Sylvia Murphy, however, disagree with Ward on whether Gastesi’s presence is a violation.

They both claim that because the administrator and County Attorney Suzanne Hutton are contract employees to the Board of County Commissioners, the policy doesn’t include them.

Neugent says that they should instead be covered under the existing state statute which limits gratuities for elected officials to $100, which would cover all but the most outrageous dinner party.

Neugent said he spoke with County Clerk Danny Kolhage and Hutton, and they are in agreement with his assessment.

Ironically, it was Gastesi himself who pushed hard for the current ethics policy two years ago after he came aboard as administrator. Former Growth Management Director Drew Trivette was scolded by Gastesi for accepting fishing trips and dinners from developers trying to get favorable consideration for a proposed waterfront development ordinance at Safe Harbor on Stock Island, prompting Gastesi’s action.

Ward has been badgering county commissioners to adopt a stricter ethics policy for themselves than the state limits, as low as $50, and to adopt a lobbyist registration ordinance that would let voters see who is being paid to lobby commissioners, for what and for whom.

Commissioner Kim Wigington has twice tried to get BOCC support for a lobbyist registration ordinance, but has met with significant resistance. She has said she doesn’t want to introduce something so watered down it becomes meaningless.

The primary criticisms of the proposals thus far have been that the ordinances were too vaguely worded and could include anyone who spoke to a commissioner outside the BOCC meetings, or that non-profit groups simply asking for more money in the budget would have to pay a registration fee, or that homeowner groups, such as Ocean Reef Homeowner’s Association or Sugarloaf Shores Property Owner’s Association, would have to register to host county officials at routine meetings.