Don’t delay on financial disclosure at county

Oakland County officials – specifically the county board of commissioners – would be wise to make as a priority in coming weeks the ethics and financial disclosure proposal recently introduced by Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter.

In early October Coulter put forth a financial disclosure proposal that would apply to all county elected leaders, including members of the county board. The financial transparency regulations would also apply to “senior appointed” officials. Also required to file disclosure information would be other elected officials like the county prosecutor, clerk, water resources and others.

To enact the disclosure rules, the proposal must be adopted by the county board of commissioners.

Coulter’s push is a direct response to recent allegations of conflict of interest and possible ethical violations by elected county officials, including board of commissioners chair Dave Woodward, that have been highlighted in reporting by the Detroit Free Press. Oakland County is has no ethics code like neighboring counties.

The work of the Detroit Free Press journalists has also prompted state Representative Donni Steele (R-Bloomfield Hills, part of Bloomfield Township and northern county municipalities) to introduce a bill that would basically extend the state financial disclosure law to include, based on population, 16 of the 83 countries in the state.

But there are deficiencies in what state lawmakers enacted after state voters in 2022 overwhelmingly approved financial disclosure. The state requirements do not include disclosure by spouses and other dependent household members which means elected officials intent on circumventing disclosure requirements could just transfer assets. There is also no indication that state lawmakers would move this legislation. Don’t forget, House and Senate members refused to deal with this issue until it was put on the ballot, and then produced something far less stringent than what was first proposed by an outside group.

Two Democrat county commissioners, Kristine Nelson and Charlie Cavell, earlier this year had proposed an ethics plan for county officials but that has gone nowhere art this point in time.

Coulter’s proposal would require reporting of financial interests and be placed online so the public has access to the information. If changes or improvements are needed at some future point, it would be much easier to make them at the county level.

Financial disclosure would be required of county officials as well as spouses and domestic partners. Further, the transparency regulations would apply to adult dependents in the same household. Aside from income and assets, also required to be disclosed are the interests of any trust related to those filing. Additionally, those covered by the transparency rules would be required at each mid year to file further disclosure if they had any new outside income of $10,000 or more.

To help with enforcement, Coulter’s proposal includes the addition of an independent ombudsperson who would field tips on any possible ethical or conflict of interests on the part of public officials.

What has been proposed by the county executive is pretty solid and should be adopted by county commissioners without delay.