Every City of Chandler employee is required to follow ethical behavior, and its commonplace among businesses, boards and nonprofits. And yet, the Chandler City Council operates without one. I think it's time we talk about that.
I'm not here to point fingers or declare a crisis. I'm here to start a conversation.
Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert, Mesa, Peoria, and Glendale all have formal ethics policies for their Mayor and Council, while Chandler is among the few without one. I believe we owe it to ourselves to ask whether this is a gap worth closing. A well-designed ethics policy isn't about gotcha politics or giving a council majority the power to remove colleagues they disagree with. Those are legitimate concerns, and they are exactly why structure and independence matter.
The Chandler Chamber of Commerce has raised this issue for seven years. That's a sustained, thoughtful appeal from the business community that helps power our local economy. And the Charter Committee, a citizen body appointed to review possible Charter amendments, explored this topic as well. When community voices keep arriving at the same question from different directions, elected officials should listen.
One idea worth exploring is an independent ethics commission made up of former elected officials and former senior City of Chandler staff. These are people who understand how city government works, who carry no current political stake, and who could evaluate concerns with fairness and transparency. But that's just one possibility. I genuinely want to hear what residents think accountability should look like.
What matters most to you? Is it clearer conflict-of-interest rules? More transparency in decision-making? A formal process for raising concerns? All of the above?
Chandler has earned a reputation as one of the best-run cities in America, and I don't take that lightly. Any ethics framework we consider should strengthen the trust between residents and their elected leaders.
This is your city. I'd love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts with Jane Poston because the best place to start building an ethics policy is with the community it's meant to serve.