The Ethics Task Force, appointed by County Executive Jan Gardner in February 2015, completed its work tonight with a series of recommendations for changes to the Ethics Ordinance, state law and processes and procedures.

The recommendations are intended to help one of Maryland’s fastest growing counties maintain public trust in the face of rapid change to the community both demographically and politically, with the first term of Charter government having begun in December 2014.

County Executive Gardner said, “I commend the Ethics Task Force for their hard work in reviewing the Frederick County Ethics Ordinance and other related documents so that they could make recommendations as to amending the ordinance. They have taken their charge very seriously to improve citizen trust in county government. I believe that elected officials should be held to a high standard of conduct and that citizens should be confident that elected officials are making decisions in the best interest of the public good.”