Greensboro council supports ethics legislation

The Greensboro City Council voted 7 to 1 on March 17 to support ethics legislation filed by Rep. Bill McGee (R-Forsyth) and Rep. Cary Allred (R-Alamance). District 1 Councilwoman Dianne Bellamy-Small cast the lone dissenting vote. The legislation would extend an ethics law passed by the NC General Assembly in 2006 to cover members of city councils and county commissions, along with other local officials. Local elected officials to file statements of financial interest, including real estate and business holdings and stock options, membership in organizations or advocacy groups, assets, felony convictions expunged by the state and associations with nonprofit organizations. The state ethics law also prevents covered officials from knowingly using their public position in an official action or legislative action that will result in financial benefit to themselves, their businesses or members of their extended family. At-large Councilman Robbie Perkins, who is the president of commercial real estate company NAI Piedmont Triad, said, “These days it’s hard to vote against an ethics law…. I think we should support it and move on.” Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Anderson Groat added, “I can understand why you have the spouse disclosure because I assume you could hide assets through your spouse, but that’s really not going to suit every spouse. I can’t vote against an ethics motion of any kind, but at the same time I think that makes it really difficult to ask your spouse, especially if it’s a second or older marriage, I think it’s really difficult to ask your spouse to do all that so you can run for office.” Bellamy-Small explained her vote: “I already know that my spouse is not going to want his assets revealed…. I’m not trying to hide anything, but I don’t feel I need that kind of oversight.”