In 1996, the citizens of Miami-Dade County voted to amend the Home Rule Charter to create an Ethics Commission. Subsequently, the Board of County Commissioners, through Ordinance 97-105, established the Commission on Ethics and Public Trust, an independent agency with advice-giving and quasi-judicial powers.
The Ethics Commission is composed of five volunteer members who serve staggered terms of four years each. Members are appointed by the following individuals or institutions:
.Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit—two appointments with the following qualifications:
- Former Federal Judge, or former U.S. Magistrate, or former State Court Judge
- Former U.S. Attorney or Assistant U.S. Attorney, former State or Assistant State Attorney, former County or Assistant County Attorney, or former City or Assistant City Attorney.
Dean of the University of Miami School of Law and Dean of the St. Thomas University School of Law—one shared appointment with the following qualifications: Faculty member from the law school who has taught a course in professional legal ethics or who has published or performed services in the field of professional legal ethics.
Miami-Dade League of Cities—one appointment with the following qualifications:
Member who has held local elective office prior to appointment.
Director of the Florida International University Center for Labor Research & Studies—one appointment.
Each member must be a resident of Miami-Dade County. Additionally, while serving on the Commission, each member cannot hold or campaign for an elective office or hold office in any political party or political committee.
The Ethics Commission is empowered to appoint the Executive Director, who must be a member of the Florida Bar. Robert Meyers was named Executive Director in 1998.
Awards & Recognition
- Ethics Commission invited by U.S. Department of State to conduct anticorruption training in Nicaragua
- Ethics Commission staff selected to participate in National
League of Cities Leadership Training Institute
- Model Student Ethics Program included in Corruption
Fighters’ Tool Kit, published by Transparency International
(only program from U.S. cited)
- Ethics Commission invited to La Paz, Bolivia, to conduct
training on ethics and anticorruption measures
- 2006 NACo (National Association of Counties) Achievement Award for Candidate Ethics Forums >>About the Award
- 2004 - Only U.S. entity recognized in Transparency International's Special Edition Corruption Fighters' Tool Kit
- 2005 - Received the National Association of Counties' Achievement Award
