The City and Borough of Juneau may have a ballot question coming asking voters to allow it to deviate from state financial disclosure laws.
The Alaska Public Offices Commission requires municipal officials to fill out detailed financial disclosures via state statute 39.50, including of all sources of income from the official and immediate family members. This includes all elected officials and people appointed to boards like the Planning Commission.
The city can opt-out of filing in the state’s manner and choose to implement its own financial disclosure policy, but in order to do so voters have to allow the city to do so.
According to APOC, 116 Alaska communities have chosen to opt-out. In about the last year Anvik, Delta Junction, Denali Borough, Egegik, Fairbanks, Gustavus, Kenai, City of Ketchikan, Napaskiak, Seldovia and Sitka opted out.
Anchorage still follows APOC rules. As for Southeast, others that have opted out are Craig, Kake, Kasaan, Klawock, Kupreanof, Metlakatla, Pelican, Petersburg, Port Alexander, Saxman and Tenakee Springs.
Mayor Bruce Botelho is bringing the issue to the Assembly, which will discuss it at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday.
Botelho said his primary concern is APOC moving to electronic viewings of the financial disclosures.
“A lot of information gets to what happens in families, my son’s income at the Silverbow Bakery for example suddenly is available,” he said. “Unscrupulous people could use it as a way of mining information that is intrusive on their privacy.”
Botelho said he isn’t concerned with people coming into the city office to view that information.
He said there has been some concern raised from people who would have applied for a city board or run for election that passed because of how detailed the financial disclosures are.
“One of the concerns that has been expressed to probably almost all the Assembly members is an element on the issue of privacy, people seeing the reporting is being unneedingly intrusive or burdensome,” Botelho said. ‘There have been some good people who have chosen not to apply. The prospect of having that information posted to the Web will have a major chilling affect.”
Botelho said the discussion at COW will include what changes it would like to make.
“I’m satisfied with the basic regime that’s in place,” he said.
Some points the Assembly is likely to consider include:
*Who the rules apply to and whether that should be expanded or less inclusive.
*Should the dollar amounts of reporting for gifts or income be the same or lowered? (Botelho suspects the limit would be lowered).
*State law allows anyone to file a private enforcement action against an official. Botelho expects discussion on whether anyone outside of Alaska or even Juneau should have that authority.
Other topics that will shape how and which city officials disclose information could also be considered.
City Manager Rod Swope said the city does not yet have a plan for the potential change. The city’s own requirements don’t necessarily need to be formalized before a ballot question takes place.
“Although you would have to let the public know what the differences would be if you’re asking them to vote on it,” Swope said.
In addition to the discussion on financial disclosure laws, the COW also will review the cruise ship dock project and uplands work.
• Contact reporter Sarah Day at 523-2279 or at sarah.day@juneauempire.com.
Comments (13)
Add commentMaybe its the law that needs changing
Perhaps the disclosure law itself needs to be changed. It does sound pretty intrusive. If Mayor Botelho needs to report his sons income from Silverbow, thats indeed intrusive.
Elected not appointed officials
At a minimum individuals who are applying for positions on Boards & Commissions should not be required to file the APOC disclosures. I personally chose to not apply on several occasions due to the complexity of the APOC required information. Those who chose to seek an office by actually running a campaign should be required to file some modified version of the APOC disclosure. I for one don't care about family members incomes. However when a candidate for the Borough Assembly or City Council is being paid by someone for unknown services and voters do not know the business relationship I see quid-pro-quo problems.
I agree, time for a change
I was on a State board for years, and one of the reasons that I resigned, is that all of the information about you and your family will be able to be seen on the web instead of going to the office up in Anchorage and requesting it. Billy Bob in Hicksville Georgia has no business knowing about my family.
There are many at the State level that have left Boards or declined appointment because of this.
Definetly time for a change...............
If APOC is too complex
Islander, maybe you did us all a favor. :)
This is a waste of money for the city. More public disclosure is a good thing, the more timely and ease of access is also better.
Should err towards full disclosure
Perhaps the mayor and others who object to disclosure ought to not run for election. Obviously, in any system which monitors disclosure there will be areas which are uncomfortable in terms of reporting. To many this creates a slippery slope, an excuse to limit disclosure which the public has every right to understand.
Who will be next in seeking exemptions? The legislature?
This should raise every
This should raise every eyebrow in town! Vote to keep these Financial disclosure laws folks because we need them.
We have to keep these financial disclosure laws because it is about transparency, disclosure and the public’s right to know who is influencing our Government and why.
If people want to serve the public and influence the direction our town goes in, then this financial disclosure is part of the deal. These laws were put in place for good reasons.
I have many concerns about conflicts of interest with assembly members now.
David Stone is on the assembly and he is also a board member at AELP. Niel MacKinnon (President of the First Things First Foundation, FTFF) recently was an assembly member and he currently is on the Board at AELP .
Both David and Niel stand to gain financially if the AJ mine opens, because they are share holders of AELP which owns part of the AJ Mine.
In yesterdays newspaper Niel is quoted saying:
that the AJ mine committee’s conditions were too restrictive and that the city should develop a second water supply
to restrictive??? Really? Well of course Niel would think the committee is being to restrictive, because it was Niel MacKinnons foundation FTFF that fought EPA so that the Kensington Mine (and other mining companies) can dump their toxic waste into our lakes. Niel also has mineral rights out at Kensington Mine!
And who will pay for an additional Water Supply for Juneau so the AJ mine can open,so that people like Niel and David among others can make lots of money? We the TAX PAYERS WILL.
these people will use our tax dollars to build infrastructure that benifits them.
wrong headed
So, if Bothelo has his way, to see this publicly available information, we have to travel to City Hall. If it's public information and we are entitled to see this information, don't hide it in city hall only, put it online! Bothelo is worried because too many people might see public information? Wow! If this caused people to not run for city office, good!
Transparency, full
Transparency, full disclosure. Don't waste our time or money putting this to a vote. The reason they want to know family financial information is incase the Alaskan official steals money and tries hiding it in a family members account. It is very clear we need this law to stay in place.
Quote:
"In addition to the discussion on financial disclosure laws, the COW also will review the cruise ship dock project and uplands work."
I find it very troubling, suspicious and funny in a corrupt Alaskan type of way that they want to change disclosure laws right before the new cruise ship dock project and uplands work starts.
WTH??? No, you can't change the law, no you can't give the contract to a friend and then hide the kick back money in your family members bank account. Dang
I think it is important to have public disclosure because the police do not have the time, resources and dare I say training to monitor public officials financial schemes.
With the information accessible, a regular citizen can uncover a financial discrepancy the police could not or did not try.
Most crimes are reported by the people, not the police.
I must add that I find it EXTREMELY DISTURBING that there are paid AELP insiders on the city assembly.
Disclosure laws serve what is
Disclosure laws serve what is in the "Publics best Interest" and the publics has a right to know this information - this is what is important here. If city officials do not like the law or that the information is available on line then they should quit being a public servant.
even names of tenants?
Did you know that public officials even have to disclose the names of all their tenants, if they have rental properties? You may be renting from someone you don't even realize has to file under this law, and your name will be in the database. It is a little excessive. There are good reasons for municipalities to be exempt from some of these regulations.
http://doa.alaska.gov/apoc/forms/2011FinancialDisclosureInstructions.pdf
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance - why diminish it?
It isn't that I don't want to trust legislators - or staff for that matter. Frankly, I'm surprised that democrats appear to be the principal advocates for lessening reporting requirements? Although, I'm sure republicans are behind this as well.
And no, I don't have a problem with being named as a tenant. Perhaps there are legislators who are landlords to other legislators. I don't want any unknown "suite deals" transpiring without the light of day. Bill Allen and other corrupt officials have put an end to my trusting nature.
Check out
The APOC website, download the form, and tell me that you are comfortable with all the information that will become public. For some business owners, they have to list everyone that has paid them over $1000.00 in a year. Means your name becomes part of a Google search............
Juno Assembly
Insiders, funny how that works. And people keep voting them and Bothello back in.
WAIT! Didn't someone say something about lower taxes, no more pork, no more pet projects?