Mayor Nirenberg is working to get ahead of two snowballing ethics scandals which have hit independent, city funded agencies just in the past couple of weeks, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
In a 'Presidential style' speech delivered from his desk at City Hall, Nirenberg called for a stronger Ethics Review Board, with more authority to 'sanction' any agency that receives City funding.
"I have instructed the Ethics Review Board to work with Common Cause, an organization that examines best practices in government ethics, and propose the policies we need to get this done," the mayor said.
The CEO of the city's Tricentennial Commission stepped down earlier this month, claiming of the 'negativity' that was infecting the city's 300th birthday celebration effort, and there were allegations of improper bidding practices within the organization. Earlier this week, the long time head of Centro San Antonio, the private organization created to coordinate efforts to develop the city's downtown area, resigned after it was revealed that a 'phony audit' covered up the embezzlement of $175,000 from the group.
Both organizations are not part of City government, but receive funding from City taxpayers.
"These recent revelations have pushed non profit organizations with ties to the city into the spotlight, threatening to harm one of the strength of city government, public trust," Nirenberg said.
Nirenberg said the city this fiscal year will budget $150 million to support 250 separate organizations, which perform duties ranging from economic development to protecting victims of domestic violence.
"I want to reassure you that the alleged improprieties are not the norm," Nirenberg said. "These events, although rare, have the potential to undermine our work, and distract us all from the pressing work of our city."
The Mayor said Council Governance Committee will take several steps, including reviewing contract provisions in city funding agreements, creating new contract requirements that 'raise ethical and transparency standards for non profit agency activities involving public dollars,' and to recommend better oversight and enforcement provisions for the Ethics Review Board, and a 'more robust process for responding to complaints.'
"Ethical behavior is more than following black and white rules," he said. "It requires an understanding of how actions are perceived and whether they serve to advance the public trust."
The mayor also blasted what he called 'opportunists' who will 'try to take political advantage of recent events and try to tell you that our government does not work for you'"This is not true," he said. "Push back against those notions. Our democracy will break if we let those forces convince the public that our government does not deserve your time or your energy."