If the Wichita City Council passes a new ethics policy this spring, it will be the first overhaul of the city’s ethics policy for elected officials in 63 years. But it won’t be the first time Wichita’s city government has tried to reform in the wake of scandal. Wichita City Council members and other members of city boards and commissions have been accused of using public office for personal gain off-and-on for more than 100 years. How the city responded has largely shaped how the city government functions. Wichita’s proposed reform comes on the heels of several local officials being swept out of office following ethical breaches. Mayor Brandon Whipple said the city needs a new ethics code to protect the elected officials who remain in office from allegations of impropriety and to hold them accountable.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
