Patch Question: Revive the Board of Ethics?

Members of the new Democratic-controlled City Council and some of their supporters want to see the city’s dormant committees and boards revived, in particular the Board of Ethics.

Councilman Mike Fagen's grand jury indictment last week on charges that he illegally collected unemployment benefits once again called into question whether he should take a temporary leave or resign. Some believe the councilman should remain on the council unless he is proven guilty in court, while others contend that basic civics teaches that an indicted public official must recuse himself from acting in public authority if a jury has been presented with sufficient evidence that he may be guilty of stealing from his constituents.

Fagen’s fellow Democratic council members have , but the councilman, who maintains his innocence, is determined to remain on the council. If Fagen is convicted of a felony, under New York state law he could be forced to step down; if convicted of a lesser charge, the city’s charter states that the governor may remove an elected official at the request of the council.

While the city’s website doesn’t provide details about the nature and duties of the Board of Ethics — including the standards by which it would operate and the type of cases it would address — it states that the board is to consist of eight members appointed by the , the majority of whom must not be city employees or officers and must live in Long Beach and serve without compensation.

Does the city need a board of ethics to address cases such as Fagen's? If so, how does the city benefit from such a board? Or is it pointless to have a board of ethics?  

Maybe you have other ideas. Let us know your thoughts in the comments and take our poll below.