Proposal will not appear on Council’s June 3 agenda

Councilmember Cathy Moore (District 5) today announced that she is withdrawing a proposal to update the City’s Code of Ethics. The legislation was based on the recommendation of Seattle Ethics and Elections Executive Director Wayne Barnett who’d voiced concerns about the impact on the local democratic process of an outlier recusal rule. The provision has increasingly been used to remove duly elected councilmembers from participating in the legislative process. The bill sought to address flaws in the recusal and disclosure process while mitigating concerns over voter underrepresentation.

“I have decided to withdraw the Code of Ethics update bill from consideration, a decision I do not take lightly. My conversations with colleagues have made it clear that we require more time to ensure we get this right,” said Councilmember Moore.

“I began this process because of input from the City’s Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, which highlighted how our current code places too much discretion in the hands of one unelected individual to make decisions that potentially disenfranchise district voters. It’s important to acknowledge that Seattle’s Ethics Code is unusually rigid and an outlier across the nation. As the Chair of the Ethics and Elections Commission noted, there is no ‘gold standard’ when it comes to defining ethics rules; it’s a policy choice. As the Council further discusses the appropriate policy choice for our city, it’s my hope that we can collaborate to find a standard that both upholds the accountability of elected officials and preserves the integrity of our system, without impeding the essential functions of local government.” 

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