Ethics Workgroup Near Completion

The Louisville Metro Council’s ethics workgroup has nearly finished reconciling two rewrites of the city ethics code. Only two issues remain to be ironed out. But those two issues are the most contentious.The panel will have to decide whether the ordinance covers elected officials only, or if it extends to other Metro Government employees, and if it does, how far it must go. Members also must decide how the rules will apply to officials' families.Workgroup chair Tina Ward-Pugh says if the panel comes to a stalemate on those two issues, it will leave them up to the council's government accountability committee, which Ward-Pugh also chairs."If they break down in the final meeting or meetings and we can't come to an agreement we will at least have 98% of it changed and improved," she says.Ward-Pugh says the panel will only meet as long as progress is being made.