Co-Sponsorship Memo Details

In the near future, I plan to re-introduce legislation, in a continuing effort to bring transparency and fairness to all levels of government, to amend the County Code to prevent the possibility of nepotism in county government.
 
I believe it is of the utmost importance that we end the culture of a self-serving government in order to better focus on serving the people by whom we are elected, the taxpayers. To help accomplish this goal, my legislation will prohibit a county commissioner from voting on the appointment of a member of a board, authority or similar body established to improve the economic development of the county, if a member of the immediate family of the county commissioner is an executive level employee of that same entity.
 
In this time of limited funding resources at all levels of government, it is imperative that grants, loans and contracts are awarded based on the return on investment and the impact they have on a constituency. Just as we do here in the Senate when, under Rule 20, we seek a ruling on whether we have a direct, personal, private or pecuniary interest in any question or bill, individuals in public service should not have the ability to cast what could be a self-serving vote.
 
This legislation was formerly Senate Bill 591 from the 2017-18 Legislative Session, and was co-sponsored by Senators Mensch, Folmer, Rafferty, Ward, and Vulakovich.
 
I sincerely hope that you will consider joining me in co-sponsoring this legislation.  If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Jake Gery in my office at jgery@pasen.gov.