Drafter
Clerk 10/14/2008
Title
A MOTION relating to the organization of the council; prohibiting hiring by council members of any person as personal staff who is a recent personal staff member or council administrative or policy staff employee at pay range 23 or above, and prohibiting payment of salary or benefits for such persons by the county from either the central council account or any member's district account; and amending Motion 10651, Section VI, as amended, and OR 3-010.
Body
WHEREAS, the council employs a number of persons in policy and administrative positions who work for and provide service to all councilmembers, who are referred to as "central staff," and
WHEREAS, each councilmember also employs a number of persons in positions designed to serve the needs of the individual district and its councilmember, who are referred to as "personal staff," and
WHEREAS, employees in personal staff and policy central staff positions have access to and knowledge of background information, of policy formation proposals and considerations which are often confidential in nature to one or more councilmembers, and
WHEREAS employees in central administrative positions have access to and knowledge of technical, financial and administrative information and processes that are often sensitive or confidential in nature to one or more councilmembers, and WHEREAS, the possibility that a policy or administrative central staff employee, who provides service and works closely with all councilmembers, could be hired into a personal staff position reduces the effectiveness of policy and administrative staff, and
WHEREAS, councilmembers are less likely to candidly discuss policy formation considerations, relay confidential information or seek assistance from staff if they are not assured that the staff person will not be employed by another councilmember as a personal staff member in the near future. These concerns will have a chilling effect on councilmembers' c...

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