How Can We Blur Ethical Boundaries? Let Us Count The Ways

The recent news uncovered by the Times-Union's Tia Mitchell in regards to the work by City Council Vice President Jack Webb for Republic Services has reignited a debate over ethics, or rather the lack thereof, at City Hall.

Webb, who led the charge earlier this year to defeat the Mayor John Peyton's attempts to award the multi-million dollar Trail Ridge Landfill contract to Waste Management, took on Republic Services--the company at the forefront of the attempts to force the city to bid out the landfill contract--as a client. 

The rumors that Webb had a financial relationship with Republic Services had been flying around City Hall for several months, but last week, the Times-Union was finally able to verify that a relationship did indeed exist.  Webb, in defending the relationship, protested that his work with Republic Services had nothing to do with the Trail Ridge situation, and in fact, the work he had picked up for Republic Services wasn't related to Duval County at all.

To Duval County voters, however, Webb's protests fell on deaf ears.  For many, it only heightened the cynicism with which they look at local government.  The assumption among many seems to be that actions taken by local government officials are frequently designed to benefit their own interest, or those of their family, friends or business partners.  This distrust has been fueled by continual examples of behaviors that tested the ethical boundaries of what is right and wrong.

Much like the embattled politicians before him, Webb has been forced to resort to the argument that he has done nothing illegal.  And, it's quite likely that he hasn't.  But, is legal vs. illegal really the argument that public servants should aspire to?  After all, ethical behavior isn't always defined by what is legal or not.  In reality, it's what is right or wrong and there are a multitude of actions that while perfectly legal, may not be the right thing to do.  Representing a client with business before the Council, while it may not be illegal, certainly does not appear to be the right thing to do. 

Webb is certainly not the only council member who has skated along the line of activities that are ethical or not.  Another prominent member of the Council is said to personally benefit from contracts at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, yet this individual has been front and center in leading the charge to fund improvements at the stadium.  The issue of whether or not those improvements are warranted is not germaine to this conversation, but whether or not a public servant should push an issue that could potentially personally benefit them financially is.

Jacksonville deserves better from its leaders.  Instead of debating the legality of an action, isn't it time they started looking at things through the prism of what is right or wrong?  Many times the appearance of impropriety is just as damaging as any actual misdeed.  Our public servants would do well to keep that in mind.

Tags: Jack Webb, Jacksonville City Council, Local Politics, Republic Services, Trail Ridge

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 10:56 AM and is filed under Local Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.