MACoCon attendees learned about ethics in local government as part of the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance.
At the 2022 MACo Summer Conference Academy Core Session, “Ethics,” Academy Core participants learned about public ethics ordinance as generally required by state law and discussed the often fine line between legal and ethical behavior. The class illustrated the differences through real-life scenarios and small group discussions.
The session course was taught by lawyer and local ethics expert Ernest Crofoot and was moderated by Baltimore City Councilmember Odette Ramos.
Crofoot offered some easy rules for local elected officials and county staff to follow:
- Act under the assumption that your actions will always be made public.
- When in doubt, don’t.
- Things are a lot easier to get into than to get out of.
County Fellows of the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance are required to complete 8 Core Courses and 6 Elective Credits.
The Academy for Excellence in Local Governance is a volunteer certificate program for elected and appointed county and municipal officials. The program provides a strong background of necessary skills and knowledge for local government leaders. It was founded by MACo and MML, is facilitated by the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, and is sponsored by the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT).
While the session was open to all MACoCon attendees, fellows in the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance earned Core credit for their participation.
The session was held on August 17, 2022, at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, MD.
More about MACo’s Summer Conference: