Outside Employment Poses Ethical Questions for City Council
The Fort Worth Report summarized:
Mayor Parker recused herself from casting a vote in a zoning case Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution.” The case was brought by Cook Children’s Medical Center, where Mayor Mattie Parker will begin work as part-time chief of staff July 17.
The City Council approved the zoning change 10-0, but the mayor’s action illustrated the potential pitfalls all elected officials face when they take other jobs.
“We expect city officials to always place the public interest first and never create even the impression through their actions that they might be doing something that would favor a business or an organization with which they are affiliated,” Pelissero said.
John Pelissero, senior scholar, government ethics, quoted by Fort Worth Report.