Public Affairs
Department
P.O. Box 1989
West Palm Beach, FL 33402-1989
(561) 355-2754
FAX: (561) 355-3819
http://www.pbcgov.com
Palm Beach County
Board of County
Commissioners
Shelley Vana
Chair
Steven L. Abrams
Vice Chair
Karen T. Marcus,
Paulette Burdick
Burt Aaronson
Jess R. Santamaria
Priscilla A. Taylor
County Administrator
Robert Weisman
"An equal opportunity
Affirmative Action Employer"
Electronic Press Release
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Commission on Ethics and Office of Inspector General
Since taking office in early 2009, I have been a strong proponent of the implementation of the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics and the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The Board of County Commissioners has worked closely with the State Attorney’s office to expedite this initiative by providing assistance such as funding and office space through the passage of numerous county ordinances.
The Commission receives and investigates complaints and is charged with enforcement of the Palm Beach County Code of Ethics, lobbyist registration and post employment ordinances. The Commission is composed of five members appointed by various civic, educational and professional associations. In addition to enforcing the ethics code and related ordinances, the ethics commission issues advisory opinions to county officials, employees and others subject to its jurisdiction, including county vendors, lobbyists and their employers.
The new Inspector General, selected by the Commission on Ethics, the State Attorney and the Public Defender, is Sheryl Steckler, formerly with the State of Florida’s Department of Children and Families. The OIG’s office provides:
- Independent oversight of County operations;
- Authorized to conduct audits and investigations of, required reports from, and receive full and unrestricted access to the records of all County offices;
- Responsible for activities that promote accountability, integrity, and efficiency in county government;
- Detect misconduct involving abuse, corruption, fraud, waste, inefficiencies, and mismanagement by elected and appointed County officials and employees, County agencies and instrumentalities, contractors, and other parties doing business with the County and/or receiving County funds.
The following is an overview on the complaint filing process. For more information, please visit the Web sites of the Commission on Ethics at http://www.palmbeachcountyethics.com and OIG directly at http://www.pbcgov.com/OIG.
How to File a Complaint
If you wish to report allegations of waste, fraud, misconduct or other abuses in County government, you may use the electronic Office of Inspector General Complaint Form.
You may also contact us at (561) 233-2350 or submit your concerns in writing to:
Office of Inspector General
P.O. Box 16568
West Palm Beach, Florida 33416
inspector@pbcgov.org.
To reach the Commission on Ethics, you may call their hotline at 877-766-5920. |
How to File a Whistle-blower Complaint
To report more egregious or serious allegations of wrongdoing on the part of a public employer or independent contractor who is under contract with the County and you are also a County or provider employee, former County or provider employee, or applicant for County employment, you may qualify for protection including confidentiality of your name and identity in accordance with the Whistle-blower’s Act.
Florida’s Whistle-blower’s Act provides protection by making it illegal to retaliate against the complainant, and the OIG’s office is responsible in determining if a complaint meets the “Whistle-blower’s Act” requirements.
In order to request whistle-blower protection, you must report your information to the Palm Beach County Office of Inspector General. You may use the electronic Whistle-blower’s Complaint Form or send your written complaint(s) to the Office of Inspector General, P.O. Box 16568, West Palm Beach, Florida 33416. |
Please contact me if I can be of assistance or if you have any comments and/or suggestions. I can be contacted at sabrams@pbcgov.org or at my office at 561-355-2204 (West Palm Beach) or 561-276-1220 (Delray Beach). Please visit my Web site at http://www.pbcgov.com/countycommissioners/district4/ for updates and links to county divisions and other governmental agencies.
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Government
