Roberts Tells Council Reporting Gifts Won't Stop the Beast

At its last regular meeting, Greenbelt City Council deliberated over gifts that had to be reported under the state ethics law, should it pass.

The discussion arose because of new state requirements, drafted largely in response to county corruption. Greenbelt and other municipalities were charged with enacting ethics ordinances that either met with or exceeded state minimums.

Mayor Judith “J” Davis told council members they would have to keep a very careful record of every reception, every banquet and every fundraiser they attended.

“You can report it all you want but it doesn't change the basic nature of why it's occurring, and that's the problem,” council member Rodney Roberts said.

“The problem is the very nature of the beast and what its doing to the system because people that have a lot are able to influence what goes on in government just because they have things to give."

During deliberations, Roberts had offered a motion to strike language from the ordinance that would allow the city's elected officials to receive gifts. Robert's motion did appear to meet the state's stipulation that changes to the ordinance be more stringent than the state's ethics requirements.

Mayor Pro Tem, Emmet Jordan said he was hesitant to mess with the wording in this ordinance as it stood. He suggested council pass the ordinance and then work on improving it in a timely fashion.

Council member Leta Mach also urged careful consideration before making changes. "I just think that playing around with it now, trying to create it now in half an hour is just going to lead to unintended consequences,” Mach said.

With regard to gifts, council member Edward Putens said that reporting requirements weren't news to him because he worked for the federal government and couldn’t accept anything, even beer with somebody.

Nonetheless, Putens agreed that removing sections of the bill in haste was not advisable and then launched into a passionate defense of the integrity of council members.

He bristled at the idea of anyone painting a bad picture of he and his colleagues. "If you don't know who your council members are, I really take an insult at that.” Putens said, declaring, “I don't receive contributions — none.”

Council member Silke Pope felt that something needed to be done to the state ethics ordinance, but was disturbed by what she felt were inaccurate depictions of council, “I've never even had the offer of a gift. So I'm like, I’m trying to understand this," she said.

"You know, you can look at my financial statements, you may feel sorry for me."

By considering the new ethics ordinance, Pope felt council was trying to accomplish something more stringent than the city's current ordinance. She was bothered by implications that the new ordinance was nothing. “That’s not true,” she declared.

“We don't sit here because we're getting paychecks and gifts and everything. We sit here because we truly care about our city and our citizens. And by no means the stipend that we receive is going to cover all the expenses that we have as council members."

Council member Konrad Herling eventually withdrew his second of Roberts' motion to do away with gifts to elected officials. But Herling said he did that with the idea that, while going through the process, the city asked itself how it could make the ordinance tighter.

Patch published a story that includes multiple issues raised during the ethics debate as well as insight into the dynamics of Greenbelt City Council.