County Executive Jan Gardner and County Council President Bud Otis today signed a stronger ethics law to ensure the public that the county values honest and open government.
“Today is a day to celebrate! The ethics bill is a big step in our effort to restore the trust in government that our citizens deserve,” said Executive Gardner. “Citizens deserve confidence that their elected representatives are making decisions that are in the best interest of the public good. My top priority since my first day in office is to restore trust in county government.”
Executive Gardner explained that the new law meets citizens’ expectations that elected government officials display the highest standard of behavior. She expressed her gratitude to the Ethics Task Force and thanked President Otis as a former member of the County’s Ethics Commission for his leadership on this issue and for moving it through the public process to allow open, responsive government to work.
President Otis commented, “The passage of this Ethics bill is of paramount importance to me. It goes a long way to reassure our residents of our commitment to strong ethics in Frederick County. This bill goes beyond the general Maryland state level of ethics, and provides more transparent government. I sincerely thank the Ethics Task Force, my colleagues and our citizens who stand with me for higher standards of government. It’s a great day in Frederick County as I sign this bill with County Executive Jan Gardner.”