City leaders flock to 'stay out of jail' workshop

A recent flurry of Salt Lake County government scandals sent Utah city leaders flocking to an ethics course Thursday.

City government officials from across the state overwhelmed the suddenly timely and pragmatic workshop, "How to stay out of jail," offered at the Utah League of Cities and Towns annual convention under way at the Salt Lake Sheraton.

Byron Jorgenson, chief administrative officer of Sandy, told the audience he doubted if the topic of ethical decisionmaking would have garnered as much interest two weeks ago before Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman was charged with misuse of public funds.

"I think it has really sobered people up," he said. "We've all been haunted by the struggle Mayor Workman has been having."

Workman is charged with two felonies for allegedly taking funds from the county's health department and using them for the South Valley Boys and Girls Club, where Workman's daughter is employed. The incident, Jorgenson said, has emphasized to city leaders the fine line they must walk between following their hearts and following the law.

"I used to think you could just let your conscience be your guide. Now you may think you are doing something good with public money and it can blow up very badly," he said. "There's a lot of laws out there, and it's hard to keep track of them all."

Kenneth Bullock, executive director at the league, said the ethics discussion, though more pointed this year, is a mainstay at the convention because so many city leaders want to know the laws to avoid ignorant mistakes.

Those laws are all part of the Utah Public Officials and Employee Education Act in the state code. The problem is, tax commissioner and former Salt Lake Mayor Palmer DePaulis said, many city leaders have never read the codes. Without knowing the letter of the law, DePaulis said, many officials think they are doing something good for their town and then are surprised to end up in newspaper headlines.

"It's the little things that cause these problems. It's just cutting that corner a little bit," he said.

Those small mistakes can often lead to political ruin, Jorgenson said, because city officials are scrutinized by the public to ensure honesty. Much like navigating a minefield, Jorgenson said, city officials have to be constantly aware of not only how truthful their actions are but also how those actions will be perceived by the public.

"People wonder if we're decent, if we're honest, if they can trust us," he said.

Dan Jones, a Salt Lake political pollster, said honesty ranked among the highest concerns for voters in Utah this year. Jones, who addressed convention attendees Thursday, said citizens are craving decent leaders who will rule with integrity.

"My heart breaks for what is happening in Salt Lake County," Jones said. "I think it's all so unfortunate. How much heartache in local government do we have to take?"

City officials will get another chance to brush up on their ethics today when league general counsel David Church hosts a workshop detailing the difference between ethical and criminal acts.

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