August 17, 2021
Lake County Board Appoints Members to New Independent Ethics Commission
At its Aug. 10 meeting, the Lake County Board appointed five members to serve on Lake County’s first Independent Ethics Commission.
The members appointed to the Ethics Commission are Deborah Balma, Patrick “Sean” Ginty, Andrea Hess, Helen Redding and Harold Wallin. Members will serve staggered first terms with all subsequent terms being three years.
The newly formed commission is part of a comprehensive update to the County’s Ethics and Conduct Code. Commission members will be tasked to review, investigate, hear, and act on ethics complaints and will meet two times per year and as needed to review complaints.
“The Lake County Board worked for more than two years to develop a new Ethics and Conduct Code with the goal of establishing an independent commission that adds to the overall transparency of our government,” said Ethics and Oversight Committee Chair Jessica Vealitzek. “We thank the community for their tremendous interest in serving, and we have the utmost confidence that the newly appointed commission members will serve responsibly and fairly for all involved."
Individuals were invited to apply to serve on the commission through an online application process on the County’s website. The County received more than 100 applications. Following an initial review by staff of the applications based on criteria established by the Lake County Ethics and Oversight Committee, the County Board approved the appointment of the new Ethics Commission members at its Aug. 10 meeting.
“The County received a diverse group of applicants who are intelligent, respected in their field and come from throughout Lake County,” said Ethics and Oversight Committee Vice-Chair Linda Pedersen. “We trust that the five members will do an outstanding job considering each submitted complaint and conducting a thorough hearing process to render fair decisions.”
The newly formed Ethics Commission is expected to meet for the first time in a few weeks. The public is welcome to view the meeting live virtually through Zoom.
Further information regarding the meeting date and how to attend along with Lake County’s Ethics and Conduct Code can be found on Lake County’s website.
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