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The seven-member Wayne County Ethics Board was established as part of the Wayne County Ethics Ordinance, which was approved by the Wayne County Commission on April 5, 2012, and amended on December 18, 2014. The ordinance is the product of an ethics task force that was created by Wayne County Commissioner Gary Woronchak shortly after he was elected chair of the Comission in January 2011. Chairman Woronchak's intent was to create a comprehensive ordinance that sets into law standards of conduct and defines ethical behavior for county employees and vendors. It also creates a system to hold accountable any person who breaks the rules. As outlined in the ordinance, the Ethics Board was established to receive and consider complaints of potential violations of the ordinance.

The Wayne County Commission and each of the six countywide officials - county executive, treasurer, register of deeds, sheriff, prosecutor and clerk - appoint one member to the board at staggered terms. The Commission's appointment to the Board is approved by the majority of the 15-member legislative body.

This website has been created by the Wayne County Ethics Board as a means for keeping Wayne County residents informed about its activities. The site also includes information on how individuals can notify the Ethics Board of suspected violations of the Ethics Ordinance.

The Wayne County Ethics Board meets in the Guardian Building, 500 Griswold, Detroit, MI 48226.

The next meeting in 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 15 in the commission chambers at the mezzanine level.
Agenda
Video

Meetings are can be viewed via Zoom. To attend, visit https://zoom.us/j/2234975895

The County of Wayne will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such as signers for the hearing impaired at the Commission meeting upon five days' notice to the Clerk of the Commission. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the Wayne County Commission by writing or calling the address and number listed below or
TDD (7-1-1)." "[500 Griswold, 8th Floor, Detroit, Michigan 48226, Telephone: (313) 224-0993, Fax: (313) 224-7484]"
Videos from previous years' meetings, dating back to 2019, are available on the Wayne County Commission YouTube channel.
HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE WAYNE COUNTY ETHICS BOARD

Any Wayne County employee/public servant or resident is encouraged to report any instances of unethical behavior by a Wayne County employee or elected official to the Wayne County Ethics Board for further investigation.

  • Download a complaint form here.
  • To determine whether the behavior or actions about which you wish to complain would fall under the jurisdiction of the Ethics Board, review the Ethics Ordinance (Wayne County Enrolled Ordinance 2014-734).
  • Return the Signed and Notarized document to:

    Wayne County Ethics Board
    500 Griswold, Suite 861
    Detroit, MI 48226
  • Form can also be emailed to wcethics@waynecounty.com
HOW TO ADDRESS COMMENTS DURING ETHICS BOARD MEETINGS
The Ethics Board in March 2024 adopted a policy on public comments during meetings. It is as follows:
A person may request to address the board on any matter. A person shall be required to identify himself/herself before offering comments.
Such address shall not be longer than three minutes or the time allotted by the Chairperson.
At the discretion of the Chairperson such address and time may be restricted for abusive, obscene, lude comments or conduct that breaches the peace.
A board member may request as a matter of personal privilege that a person be permitted to speak for additional time.
Speakers may request that the board reconsider an action on which a vote has already been recorded at an earlier point in the meeting when presented with new and persuasive reasons to do so not already stated to the board. The board at its discretion may opt to reconsider and reopen the action or reject the request to reconsider without further discussion.
Board Members may at their discretion answer the question of the speaker or reject the request for an answer without further discussion.