2004-11-10 Board of Ethics Minutes REG pc

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have admiration for Mr. Manago. And above any admiration for any particular individual in government, I have a passion for the rule of law, rather than the rule of men. I really believe that to operate a democracy in this County and anywhere else, we must make sure that every Commissioner or anyone who has accepted any government responsibility, must make sure that they understand what the law asks them to do. And before loyalty to any community group, any community interests, any government organization, an individual who accepted that role must be loyal to the Charter that creates the organization that he serves. In this case, what the evidence shows you... and Mr. Manago isn't here because question that he is or isn't a good man. I don't question whether he is or isn't a good Commissioner. All I'm saying, is that in the instances involved here, Mr. Manago violated the County Charter when he appeared before the Mayor and when he appeared before the County Council without any authority from the Police Commission to do so. Mr. Manago worked very hard with the Police trying to understand their recommendations. And he presented his own recommendations to the Mayor and the Council as his own. And I'd like you to please look at the Exhibit that I have... it would be that Section 2 of the Statute on powers and duties of commissions. If you look at the Section i) at the bottom of the page... it says: "The affirmative vote of a majority of the entire membership to which a board or commission is entitled shall be necessary to make any action valid." I now refer you to the First Exhibit which is a copy of the County Charter. If you would look at subsection 2. This section says that it's the power and duty of the police commission, to review the annual budget prepared by the chief of police and may make recommendations thereon to the mayor and managing director. Now, of examining the police budget, he never presented his recommendation to the Police Commission. And I have searched the minutes, and unless I can't find something that's there... and I attended every meeting, I never missed a meeting, don't remember the Commission ever voting to authorize Mr. Manago to go and meet with the Mayor and make recommendations. Now, before those recommendations were presented, each of us who were commissioners at the time, had the right to examine those recommendations, and we would disagree or agree or make modifications and so forth. Now, Mr. Manago, went to the Mayor, and if he did as he did before the counsel, he was deceptive. Now, these things that I'm talking 5