The March 2021 issue of PM magazine is our annual ethics issue. However, you can find "Ethics Matter!" and other ethics content in every issue of the magazine and most issues of the ICMA newsletter. In fact our members tell us that ethics advice and support is the number-one benefit of belonging to ICMA and ethics is among the highest ranked topics of interest for members.

One of the things we most value when we get together as colleagues across jurisdictions is the ability to share a circumstance, decision, or outcome that posed a significant ethical challenge in the course of leading our cities and counties. I have benefitted from these discussions as a manager and especially in my role as ICMA Executive Director. I have listened to and shared my advice on the ethical challenges that others have faced.

The most difficult scenarios for the managers with whom I have spoken typically involve working through significant policy issues with their mayors and councils. Managers feel most comfortable working behind the scenes to provide the technical and professional advice needed by elected officials to discern among policy options. Because of our intimate knowledge of how our city or county operates, we bring a level of depth and insight to inform policy discussions that elected officials usually don’t have. In many cases, our knowledge can help provide a clear-cut path to follow in drafting policy. But often there is not a clear path and there may be nuances of which only you and your staff are aware. While we may hesitate to engage, there are ways to appropriately offer perspective based on data and other insights that serve to enhance and refine policy development. We can effectively add to the policy discussion by applying our skills to facilitate the discussions and build consensus. Although ultimately, it remains the elected body’s responsibility to make the policy decisions and our job to implement them to the best of our ability.

I have seen some managers hold up the Code of Ethics as a shield to avoid controversy. During my time as city manager of Austin, there were instances where conflicting policies and the inability to come to a decision put the city’s assets and even its residents at risk. I often talk about courageous leadership—times when managers may need to step into a leadership void, facilitate the difficult conversations, and take action to resolve conflicts. These actions occasionally put us at odds with elected officials. In making courageous decisions, the Code remains our most reliable guidepost.

It has often struck me that the ICMA Code of Ethics is like the U.S. Constitution. It is a foundational document that is solid at its core. However, its application must reflect the times in which we live. Our Code of Ethics is approaching its 100th anniversary and like the U.S. Constitution, there is simply no way our predecessors could have envisioned today’s world. Take technology, for example. The pace of change and the volume of data, information, and social media that local governments must deal with is mind boggling and poses all sorts of ethical challenges.

When you review the Code of Ethics Timeline, you’ll see how the Code continues to evolve. It is not merely a set of rules, but a reflection of the integrity of the men and women who comprise our great profession, as well as those who volunteer their time to sit on our Committee on Professional Conduct and the ICMA Executive Board. We owe them our gratitude for keeping the Code of Ethics relevant in a rapidly changing world.

 MARC OTT is executive director of ICMA, Washington, D.C.