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BY BUDDY NEVINS

Appointed Republican School Board member Kevin Tynan opened his election campaign Wednesday with a challenge to any opponent don’t accept money from lobbyists doing business with the School Board.

Kevin Tynan

Tynan, who has spent his career as a lawyer specializing in ethics, also proposed a carefully drawn document  which would forbid future School Board members from accepting gifts from lobbyists.

It is a great move politcally.  Most of all, it is a proposal that the current School Board should enact immediately. 

I challenge the Democratic candidate in the race, Patti Good, to accept his suggestion for cleaning up elections and the School Board.

I’m cynical enough to believe she will ignore Tynan because she is already cozying up to the powers-to-be establishment figures.    

I fear that come August Democrats may blindly vote against Tynan without realizing he has made real suggestions to improve the ethical shortcomings at the School Board.

Tynan is the only Republican on the nine-member Board. 

The Ds will smear him.  They’ll tie him to Jeb and George W. Bush and all the other boogie men in the Democratic playbook.

The truth is that for the sake of good government, Democrats need to give Tynan consideration.  He is the only candidate in this race so far to realize that ties between lobbyists and Board membes need to be cut.

Here is his news release and his proposed ethical regulations:

TYNAN FILES FOR SCHOOL BOARD; PROPOSES STRONG ETHICS CODE

 Pembroke Pines–School Board Member Kevin Tynan announced that he has filed documents to be a candidate for School Board District 2. Tynan’s statement is set forth below.

SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY ETHICS CODE

            1.0       Statement of Policy:  Confidence in the personal integrity of public servants has eroded to such a degree that it is imperative that these same public servants take immediate action to restore the publics trust in government in general and the School Board of Broward County in particular.  It is the personal responsibility of each member of the School Board to act in a manner to promote the public trust in the School Board by acting with complete transparency and honesty and in a manner that avoids even the appearance of an impropriety.  To that end the following code of ethical conduct is enacted for all members of the School Board of Broward County.

            2.0       Standards of Conduct:  The following Standards of Conduct are hereby adopted and are in addition to those standards mandated by federal, state or local law, inclusive of but not limited to Florida Statutes Chapter 112, Part III, Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees; Florida Statutes Chapter 838 and 839.

            3.0       Definitions:  The operative words or terms, unless otherwise defined herein or elsewhere in the Policies of the Broward County School Board, shall be as defined in Florida Statutes Chapter 112.

            4.0       Personal Benefit:  A member of the School Board shall not receive any economic or personal benefit resulting from their service on the School Board except for legally authorized compensation for service on the Board.

            5.0       Acceptance of Gifts (Lobbyist): School Board members, their spouses, their domestic partners, other relatives, and office staff, shall not accept gifts directly, or indirectly, regardless of value, from lobbyists registered with the School Board, or any principal or employee of such lobbyist or from any vendor or contractor that currently provides or is seeking to provide goods or services to the School Board of Broward County. 

            5.1       Acceptance of Gifts (Other):  School Board members may accept gifts from others sources given to them in their official capacity as a School Board member, when not inconsistent with the provisions of Florida Statute Chapter 112, Part III, up to a maximum value of fifty dollars ($50.00) per occurrence.  The above provision does not apply to gifts received by School Board members in their personal (non-official) capacity and such gifts are still subject to the reporting requirements of Florida Statute section 112.3148.

            6.1       Employment (Lobbyist):  School Board members shall not be employed as a lobbyist or engage in lobbying activities before the Broward County Commission, any Broward County municipality or any other local taxing authority located within Broward County, inclusive of taxing authorities, quasi-judicial boards, appointed boards, and commissions, except on behalf of the Broward School Board.  This form of employment is deemed to be in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of a School Board member’s duties and the public interest.

            6.2       Employment (Other):  School Board members may engage in other lawful employment consistent with their public duties and where not inconsistent with Florida Statute Section 112, Part III.  All outside or concurrent employment, including employment pursuant to a contract, as well as any remuneration from that employment must be disclosed on a yearly basis in the manner currently proscribed by Florida law.

            6.3       Employment (Family):   A spouse or domestic partner, immediate family members, and office staff of a School Board member, shall not engage in lobbying activities before the Broward County School Board, the Broward County Commission, any Broward County municipality or any other local taxing authority located within Broward County, inclusive of taxing authorities, quasi-judicial boards, appointed boards, and commissions, except on behalf of the Broward School Board. 

            7.0       Relationship with Lobbyists:  School Board members should avoid even the appearance of impropriety in their interaction and dealings with lobbyists and the principals or employers of lobbyists. 

            7.1       Disclosure of contact with Lobbyists:  School Board members must disclose any and all lobbying activity that knowingly occurs between that School Board member, and individual lobbyists, or their principal or employer concerning any issue that is currently before the School Board or may in the future come before the School Board.  Disclosure is mandated for all forms of lobbying activity, inclusive or personal communication, written correspondence or any form of electronic or telephonic communication.

            7.2       Form and Method of Disclosure:  All disclosures shall be made no later than ten (10) business days from the contact with the lobbyist or their principal or employer, but must be made no later than prior to the debate and voting at a School Board meeting wherein the matter lobbied on is debated and/or voted upon.  Even if the matter is on the consent agenda, disclosure is still required.  All disclosures must be in writing and on a form provided by the Superintendent.  Said form, at a minimum, must list the lobbyist, the principal or employer of said lobbyist, the subject matter of lobbying effort and the date of the contact.  These disclosures are to be considered a public record and must be available for inspection by the public in hard copy and in a searchable manner via the internet.

            8.0       Fundraising:  It is the intent of this Ethics Code to promote full and complete transparency regarding all methods of fundraising conducted by School Board members.  The provisions set forth below are in addition to those disclosures and requirements as defined by applicable state or federal statute.

            8.1       Charitable Fundraising:  The solicitation of funds, by a School Board member, for a non-profit charitable organization, as defined under the Internal Revenue Code, is permissible as long as there is no quid pro quo or other special consideration or direct of indirect benefit between the parties to that solicitation.  School Board members may not use School Board employees or other School Board resources to assist in charitable fundraising.  This provision does not apply to School Board sponsored charities or events.

            8.2       Disclosure of Charitable Fundraising:  School Board members must disclose any and all solicitation of funds for charitable purposes.

            8.3       Form and Method of Disclosure:  All disclosures shall be made no later than ten (10) business days from the charitable fundraising.  All disclosures must be in writing and on a form provided by the Superintendent.  Said form at a minimum must list the lobbyist, the principal or employer of said lobbyist, the subject matter of lobbying effort and the date of the contact.  These disclosures are to be considered a public record and must be available for inspection by the public in hard copy and in a searchable manner via the internet.

            8.4       Campaign Contributions:  School Board members shall not solicit or accept campaign donations for their own campaigns or the campaigns of other candidates for political office from an individual or an entity, its principals, its employees or their lobbyists and their employees when said individual or entity is attempting to sell goods or services to the School Board.  This time frame for solicitation and/or acceptance of funds shall be from the notice of intent to procure services until the recommendation for the award is acted on by the School Board.  School Board members may not use School Board employees or other School Board resources to assist in raising campaign contributions.  Further, no solicitation for a campaign contribution for any political candidate may be made on School Board property or using School Board resources.

            9.0       Procurement Selection Committees:  School Board members shall not serve as a member of a School Board procurement selection or evaluation committee and shall not participate or interfere in any manner with said committee or in the selection of individuals to serve on said committee.  This provision is not to be considered a limitation on the ability of a School Board member to make full inquiry about the selection process after the conclusion of such process.

Closed.