Ethics Commission

What is the Ethics Commission and its purpose?

The Berwyn Heights Ethics Commission consists of 3 residents appointed by the Mayor for a term of 2 years. The Commission is charged with ensuring the ethical conduct of Town elected officials and staff as set forth in Ordinance 110 – Ethics, as amended. To that end, the Commission shall:

• Annually review the financial disclosures of elected officials, candidates for elected office, and certain employees;
• Issue advisory opinions about the applicability of Ethics Ordinance provisions to persons subject to it;
• Issue findings regarding ethics complaints brought before the Commission;
• Annually certify the Town’s compliance with State ethics requirements to the State Ethics Commission; and
• Determine whether changes to the Ethics Ordinance are required.

The authority of the Ethics Commission begins and ends with Ordinance 110 — Ethics. The ordinance addresses ethical concerns that would include matters such as conflicts of interest, solicitation and acceptance of gifts, and failure to file financial and other disclosures. The Commission lacks any authority to process a complaint. unless the alleged violation falls under Ordinance 110, even if the complainant feels the actions are not ethical. These concerns can be relayed to other oversight bodies. Details on that process are available in the ‘Other Resources’ section of this page.

How do I submit an ethics complaint to the Commission?

• Please write a letter or email directly to the Commissioners that details the event or behavior that you believe violates Ordinance 110 — Ethics. Contact information is available at the bottom of this page. To maintain confidentiality, do not direct communications to Town officials or employees.
• You will receive a message from one of the Commissioners that the complaint has been received and will be reviewed.
• Complaints are handled confidentially. The Commission may also seek legal advice from the Town Attorney.
• Once the Commission has finished the review, you will be sent a certified letter detailing the Commission’s findings and any next steps that may be made.

Other resources

• To report violations of other Town ordinances, you may contact the Town Council.
• To report a violation of Maryland’s Open Meetings Act, you may submit a complaint to the State’s Open Meetings Compliance Board. More information can be found here.
• If you’d like to access records subject to Maryland’s Public Information Act, you may submit a request here.
• To file a complaint regarding the Public Information Act, follow the instructions here.