Sec. 602.912. - Membership, terms, appointment.
(a) Number; terms. The Commission shall be composed of nine members each of whom shall be registered voters of Duval County for six months prior to the introduction of their nomination for confirmation, and who shall be appointed to serve for fixed January 1 to December 31 three-year terms. The terms of the members shall be so staggered that the terms of no more than three members shall expire in any one year. No person shall serve more than two consecutive full terms. If, because of a delay in appointment, a member serves less than two years during the term, then in that event, the term shall not have been considered a full term for purposes of reappointment. A member made ineligible by reason of service of two consecutive full terms may be appointed for another term following a waiting period of three years.
(b) Qualifications. Except as provided for in subsection (d) below, each member shall have one or more of the following qualifications: an attorney; a certified public accountant with forensic audit experience; a former elected official; a former judge; a higher education faculty member or former faculty member with experience in ethics; a former law enforcement official with experience in investigating public corruption; a corporate official with a background in human resources or ethics; a former board member of a City of Jacksonville independent authority; a former government executive with ethics experience.
(c) Limitations.
(1) No member shall be an elected or appointed official, or an employee of the City of Jacksonville or any of its independent agencies, or of any governmental agency subject to the authority of the Commission. No member shall be an active judge, an assistant State Attorney or assistant public defender, or an officer of a political party.
(2) Ethics Commission members shall not use their position in any manner that decreases public trust or gives the appearance of impropriety. The Ethics Commission shall establish internal operating rules or bylaws to effectuate this provision.
(3) Any Commission member who files to be a candidate for public office shall immediately resign from the Commission and their position shall be deemed vacant upon filing.
(4) No individual while a member of the Commission shall allow his or her name and title as a commission member to be used by a campaign in support of or against any candidate for public office. Nothing herein shall preclude a member from signing a petition in support of or against any referendum, ballot question or candidate. This rule does not prohibit any campaign contributions by a member, or a member supporting any candidate in his or her own name.
(d) Selection. Each of the following persons or entities shall make an appointment of one of six Commission members whose qualifications are set forth above, to wit: the Mayor, the President of the Council, the Sheriff, the Chief Judge for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, and the Public Defender for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Three Commission members whose only qualifications are that they have been registered voters in Duval County for six months prior to the introduction of their nomination for confirmation, shall be appointed by the Ethics Commission. All appointments should be made within 30 days of a vacancy occurring. All appointees shall be confirmed by Council but shall serve until Council confirmation or denial.
(Ord. 2011-167-E, § 2)
