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DAVID: ALMOST EVERYONE AGREES THESE BILLS ARE LONG OVERDUE, THE CITY INSPECTOR GENERAL PUT IT THIS WAY GOOD TRANSPARENCY HELPS PROVIDE BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY. A CITY HALL OVERHAUL. TIGHTENING ETHICS LAWS. AND LIMITING THE POWER OF THE MAYOR. AND MAKING IT EASIER TO REMOVE A MAYOR FROM OFFICE. ALL IN THE WAKE OF MAYOR PUGH’S SCANDALOUS HEALTHY HOLLY BOOK DEALS, INCLUDING COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY. >> THESE THINGS HAPPEN NEEDED FOR SOME TIME NOW. DAVID: THEY PROPOSE MOVING THE ETHICS BOARD FROM LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE TO THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL. HE WANTS CITY AGENCIES TO BE MORE CLEAR ON WHO NEEDS TO FILE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS AND BEEF UP THE OVERSIGHT TO MAKE SURE THEY DO FILE. >> IT ALSO ADDS A PROVISION TO THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM ITSELF. IT SAY THAT FILERS HAVE TO DISCLOSE ANY BOARDS THAT THEY SIT ON. DAVID: DORSEY WANTS TO PROTECT WHISTLE BLOWERS. THIS MEASURE HAS THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY INSPECTOR GENERAL. >> CITIZENS WHO HAVE THE COURAGE TO COME FORWARD NEED TO BE PROTECTED. BELIEVES IN THAT. I BELIEVE THE CITIZENS OF BALTIMORE BELIEVE IN THAT. WE REALLY NEED TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON AND ARE TOO SCARED TO COME FORWARD. DAVID: STILL IN THE WORKS MEASURES TAKING AIM AT THE CITY’S STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM. COUNCIL WOULD HAVE THE POWER TO MOVE BUDGET MONEY AROUND. ANOTHER REDUCES THE NUMBER OF VOTES NEEDED TO OVERRIDE A VETO. >> THERE IS NO OTHER CITY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA EVEN CLOSE TO OUR SIZE AND COMPLEXITY IN WHICH THE MAYOR HAS SO MANY POWERS AND THE CITY COUNCIL SO FEW. DAVID THERE’S A PLAN TO EXPAND : THE COUNCILS IMPEACHMENT AUTHORITY TO INCLUDE THE MAYORS OFFICE. >> RIGHT NOW THE CHARTER GIVES THE COUNCIL THE ABILITY TO REMOVE ANOTHER COUNCIL PERSON OR THE PRESIDENT, BUT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MAYORAL POSITION DAVID: THE BILL MAKING IT EASIER TO REMOVE A MAYOR WILL BE INTRODUCED AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. HOWEVER ANY LEGISLATION CHANGING THE CITY CHARTER NEEDS VOTER APPROVAL AND THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY WILL BE NOVEMBER

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The scandal surrounding Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh's "Healthy Holly" book deals is providing urgency to several City Council bills.One piece of legislation would strengthen city ethics laws. Other measures in the works would limit the power of the mayor. Another would make it easier to remove a mayor from office.Almost everyone agrees the proposed bills are long overdue. The city inspector general said good transparency helps provide better accountability.Councilman Ryan Dorsey proposes moving the Ethics Board from legislative reference to the Office of Inspector General. He wants city agencies to be more clear on who needs to file financial disclosure statements and beef up the oversight to make sure they do file."It also adds a provision to the financial disclosure form itself. It says that filers have to disclose any boards that they sit on," Dorsey said. "These things have been needed for some time now."Dorsey wants to protect whistleblowers, a measure that has the support of the city inspector general."Citizens who have the courage to come forward need to be protected. I know that the City Council believes in that. I believe the citizens of Baltimore believe in that. We really need to protect the people who know what's going on and are too scared to come forward," Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming said.Still in the works are measures taking aim at the city's strong-mayor system. One measure would give the City Council the power to move budget money around while another reduces the number of votes needed to override a veto."Here in Baltimore, our strong-mayor system is just too strong. I've looked at cities across the country, I have studied this for years and I can tell you there is no other city in the United States of America even close to our size and complexity in which the mayor has so many powers and the City Council so few," Councilman Bill Henry said.There's a plan to expand the City Council's impeachment authority to include the mayor's office."Right now, the charter gives the council the ability to remove another council person or the president, but that does not include the mayoral position," Councilman Kristerfer Burnett said.The bill that would make it easier to remove a mayor will be introduced at the end of this month. However, any legislation changing the City Charter needs voter approval, the next opportunity of which will be November 2020.