EDITORIAL: Ethics bandwagon picking up speed

Lake County is joining the Shared Ethics Advisory Commission. This is surely a sign of political climate change.

The Shared Ethics Advisory Commission was formed more than six years ago to offer ethics training to municipal employees and officeholders. Since then, the ethics bandwagon has picked up speed, adding Whiting as a member and drawing interest from other communities as well.

The Northwest Indiana Committee for Better Government was formed as well, as part of the One Region, One Vision initiative. That committee has urged the Indiana General Assembly to pursue specific ethics reform for local government.

For Lake County to join is a small financial commitment — a one-time $5,000 entry fee and annual fees of $1,500 to cover training materials — but a major symbolic commitment.

The Lake County Council next will need to pass a shared ethics code, then appoint county employees who will train co-workers. These are no small tasks.

Agreeing to an ethics code and adhering to it are two different things, of course, but knowing what is expected, combined with being presented various scenarios in ethics training, will help workers and elected officials decide to behave appropriately.

That's good news for residents as well as the public officials and county employees who now will receive training.

Lake County's commitment to the ethics movement is also a reminder to the other units of local government that have yet to join that they should do so soon.

The Shared Ethics Advisory Commission costs little to join but pays big dividends in promoting ethical behavior in member communities. Residents in communities that have yet to join should strongly urge their elected officials to join the Shared Ethics Advisory Commission and do their part to scrub away the stain of public corruption that has tainted Northwest Indiana for so long.