City of Elk Grove Code of Ethics 2.0
However, back in 2000, when Elk Grove first incorporated, several concerned residents realized that our newly elected officials were letting their new-found power go to the heads.
By Constance Conley |
Sadly, in today’s politics, elected officials behaving badly has become the norm. Most of us have become immune to illegal behavior, the nasty comments on social media and more. Bad behavior from elected officials is never acceptable, and yet?
However, back in 2000, when Elk Grove first incorporated, several concerned residents realized that our newly elected officials were letting their new-found power go to the heads. In record time, several of them started behaving badly. This included not only threatening residents but also city staff (who were helpless because they needed their paychecks).
So, some of us stepped up.
Wanting our newly elected government officials to do better, several of us proposed a code of ethics so that the Elk Grove City Council would understand that bad behavior would not be tolerated. The people of Elk Grove deserved better. The Elk Grove City Council, at the time, said, “No!”
The bad behavior only continued, and so the Sacramento County Grand Jury had to step in. In 2004, in a scathing special report, the grand jury mandated that the Elk Grove City Council adopt a code of ethics. Here is a previous Op Ed published on this site with some background information.
Fast-forward to today, at the upcoming April 9th Elk Grove City Council meeting, Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen has asked the Diversity & Inclusion Commission to examine the original adopted code of ethics through a DEI lens.
The staff report can be viewed here.
As a side note, when the original workshop was held, I was assigned by the residents in attendance to write the draft code of ethics, which is why I was informed that changes have been recommended.
While the recommended changes might be needed, what isn’t right is the background information contained in the staff report. This information is misleading at best and that isn’t right. The people of Elk Grove are entitled to the truth, aren’t they?
Especially in the current environment in which we find ourselves, what hasn’t changed since 2000 is that we should expect more out of our elected officials, and we should get it.
Copyright © 2025 by Connie Conley. All rights reserved.
