Knox County Commission Committee on Committees and the Ethics Committee

by BHornback · December 14, 2020

Today at 3:45 pm the Knox County Commission Committee on Committees will meet via zoom. On the agenda is a report from the Law Department on the Knox County Ethics Committee.

At the last Committee on Committees meeting (which I attended) there was a discussion about sunsetting the Ethics Committee.

Over the weekend, Ethics Committee Chair Michael Covington and Vice-Chair Kim Frazier released a Joint Statement opposing the sunset of the Ethics Committee.

To: Committee on Committees

From: Michael Covington, Chair Knox County Ethics Committee

It was recently brought to my attention that the Committee on Committees has engaged in discussion regarding the dissolution of the Knox County Ethics Committee. As the Chair, I would like to offer the following response as a statement of the position of the Chair and Vice Chair on this issue.

Over the course of the past several days, the Vice Chair and I have conducted the necessary due diligence with the dual intent of 1) considering the Committee on Committees consideration of dissolution and 2) ensuring that the purpose and role of the Ethics Committee is valuable and meets a need within Knox County government.

Measures taken to collect and diligently consider information includes the following:

1) review of past sworn complaints and outcomes

2) review of the 2007 implementation of the Ethics Committee

3) review of the 2018 Knox County Code of Ethics

4) review of T.C.A. 8-17-102 Comprehensive Government Ethics Reform Act of 2006

5) review of T.C.A. 5-14-101 County Purchasing Law of 1957

6) review of T.C.A. 5-21-101 1981 Financial Management Act

7) review of CTAS 621 County Ethics Policies

8) review of CTAS 622 County Ethics Committee

9) review of past meeting minutes of Committee on Committees

10) requesting available means of reporting and frequency of use of online forms, hotlines, internal and external resources inclusive of a third party vendor

11) review of statements from Knox County Commissioners and members of the Committee on Committees

12) discussions with the Knox County Law Director and Ethics Committee Law Department Liaison

13) reaching out to the Knox County Department of Internal Affairs

14) review of the position statement by the Mayor of Knox County

15) discussion with the office of Knox County Constituent Services

Based on our review, the Vice Chair and I have concluded that we do not support the proposed dissolution of the Ethics Committee. It is our opinion that the Ethics Committee serves a vital role and is a valuable resource to Knox County. It is also our opinion that the purpose and mission of the Ethics Committee is to offer a level of unbiased, transparent execution of the Knox County codes of ethical standards which is meant to elevate the county’s approach to maintaining and ensuring the highest level of ethical conduct.

We appreciate the efforts of the Committee on Committees to review and warrant the need, purpose, and importance of county committees to ensure that the citizens, employees, and officials of Knox County are well represented.

Respectfully,

Michael Covington, Chair Knox County Ethics Committee

Kim Frazier, Vice Chair Knox County Ethics Committee