Ethics in the Treasury

Ethics in the Treasury

A Three-Part

(Mutually Reinforcing)

Strategy

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• ILG Mission: Promote good government

• CMTA Code #2

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Session Objectives

1. Provide tools for analyzing ethical dilemmas

2. Identify steps to take to promote good government in your office and beyond

3. Share resources (and get your input)

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Ultimate Objective

• Your success & happiness as a public servant

• Prevent missteps

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What Would You Do?

• Vacation accounting irregularities

• Agency credit card misuse• Agency supplies &

equipment• Double-dipping on

expenses• Extravagant expenses

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What to Do?

• Sources of guidance– CMTA Code– Law

• Other examples

• Long-term versus short-term thinking

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What Happened?

Stay Tuned . . .

A Framework: Ethics VersusEthics Laws

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Ethics Versus Ethics Laws

• Ethics = what we ought to do

• Laws = what we must do– Penalties—Sometimes severe– Minimum standards– Legal ≠ ethical

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Resources on Ethics Laws

• No personal financial gain

• No perks

• Transparency

• Fair process

• Rest of Story: AB 1234

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What We Ought to Do = Values

Trustworthiness

ResponsibilityPublic’s interestPerceptions matter

Fairness

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Ethics in the Treasury:

Hard Choices

• Right versus right

• Personal cost – Loss of job– Long-term thinking

Promoting Public Service Ethics

The Three Strategies

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The Three Strategies

1. Good Practices

2. Your Education

3. Educate Others

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Good Practices

• Checks and balances: Minimize likelihood wrongdoing goes undetected– Internal controls– Audits– Transparency– Hiring for ethics

• CMTA Code #4: Observe profession’s technical (and legal) standards

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Educate Yourself

• CMTA Code #4: Continuous improvement

• CMTA Code #2: Promote good government– AB 1234: Take the training – Understand and promote

ethics

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Educate Others

• Decision-makers– Tool: Financial Management for Elected Officials– Oversight is a form of check and balance

• The Public– Website/transparency– What does the public need to know to

• Participate in democratic processes?• Prevent corruption? (Most important political office . . .) • Know that there’s “Ethics in the Treasury”

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Once Again . . . • Legal ≠ ethical

• Ethics = hard choices

• Three strategies1. Good Practices

2. Your Education

3. Educate Others

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