BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Binghamton City Council discussed an ordinance to amend Chapter 59 (Code of Ethics) to add a financial-disclosure filing requirement for elected officials, department heads and many appointed boards, commissions and advisory bodies.

Council member Kavanaugh introduced the proposed ordinance and described its scope: elected officials (the mayor and city councilors), department heads and their deputies and assistants, and members of a long list of boards and commissions would be required to file financial-disclosure statements consistent with subsection 2 of Public Officers Law §73-a and local code section 59-5. Kavanaugh said the city could accept a signed copy of a disclosure filed under state law to satisfy the local requirement.

Council members raised questions about the breadth of the filing requirement and privacy concerns for volunteers on boards with limited responsibilities. One council member said some volunteer positions do not deal with money and suggested the requirement might discourage willing appointees; another council member argued for all-or-none application to avoid perceived discrimination among commissions. Several members recommended circulating the proposed disclosure form to see how intrusive it feels in practice.

The discussion reviewed proposed enforcement steps that staff were still finalizing with the city attorney: an inspection by the director of personnel or city clerk on or before June 1, written notice of deficiencies by June 15, and a report to city council on August 1 listing nonfilers and unresolved deficiencies; the final report could be placed in an individual’s personnel file and could trigger removal from boards or commissions depending on position and circumstances.

Supporters said the proposal aligns Binghamton with neighboring jurisdictions that require disclosures and that transparency helps avoid conflicts; opponents expressed concern about privacy and the possible chilling effect on volunteer participation. Council members asked staff to circulate the disclosure form and to provide comparisons with the county and nearby municipalities’ processes before advancing enforcement language to final form.