OPINION — As a Scottsdale resident since 1985, I had the honor to serve on the Charter Review Task Force in 2009 and the Citizens Code of Ethics Task Force in 2005-06. In 2006, the city council unanimously adopted the code of ethics recommended by the task force chaired by Art DeCabooter, a renowned civic leader.
The Scottsdale Ethics Code is recognized as the best ethics code in the state, not some “aspirational” document created to be ignored at will. Since 2006, the only city council member who has been found to have violated the city’s ethics code is “resident friendly” Barry Graham. How could that be?
Well, one of the critical elements of the Scottsdale Ethics Code prohibits city council members from applying “undue influence on subordinates.” It is an anti-bullying provision assuring that the city manager and the city’s charter officers run the city’s affairs.
