Ethics Commission warns vacancy cutback leaves panel at 60% capacity, asks council to exempt small commission

The Ethics Commission told the Budget Committee on March 9 that an across‑the‑board vacancy cutback is a disproportionate burden on a small independent office and urged the council to exempt the commission from the reduction.

Acting Executive Director Elmira Sang and Commission Chair Shelton Jim Ahn said four unexpected vacancies occurred recently, that the office is operating at roughly 60% staffing and that the vacancy cutback will reduce the commission’s ability to fulfill disclosure reviews, lobbyist filings and adjudications in a timely manner. Chair Ahn requested that the council not apply the vacancy cutback to the commission’s small budget and reiterated a separate funding request for an associate attorney and a paralegal to handle increasing workload.

Ahn noted the commission’s outreach work and that much of the budget is salaries; he said the vacancy cutback represents nearly $36,000 to the commission and could prevent competitive hiring. “Because of these vacancy cutbacks, we've estimated that the total amount that will be impacted on our small budget will be approximately... little less than $36,000,” he said, and described the impact as more than half a support‑staff salary.

Council members acknowledged the commission’s small size and the impact of vacation payouts and vacancies, and requested additional detail on timing and the commission’s hiring plan. The committee did not adopt immediate changes but invited further discussion as part of budget deliberations.