Advisory Opinion No. 2001-38

Re: Lisabeth M. Marwell

QUESTION PRESENTED

The petitioner, the Director of the North Providence Board of Canvassers, a municipal appointed position, requests an advisory opinion as to whether she is required to file an annual Financial Disclosure Statement with the Ethics Commission.

RESPONSE

It is the opinion of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission that the Code of Ethics requires the petitioner, the Director of the North Providence Board of Canvassers, a municipal appointed position, to file an annual financial disclosure statement with the Ethics Commission pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 36-14-16.

The Code of Ethics requires all state and municipal elected and appointed officials to file annual financial statements with the Ethics Commission. See R.I. Gen. Laws § 36-14-16.

The General Assembly has deemed that if an official is appointed by the highest governing body of the state or municipality or for a term of office and exercises governmental functions other than in an advisory nature, the public official is required to file a personal financial statement pursuant to the Code of Ethics. See R.I. Gen. Laws § 36-14-2(9). Here, the Mayor of North Providence appointed the petitioner as Director of the Board of Canvassers in 1996. Therefore, she is a “state or municipal appointed official” within the meaning of R.I. Gen. Laws § 36-14-4 or § 36-14-16, and is required to file a financial disclosure statement.

Code Citations:

36-14-2(9)

36-14-4

36-14-16

Related Advisory Opinions:

2000-55

2000-48

2000-47

2000-44

2000-37

2000-36

2000-31

99-87

99-66

97-69

97-68

97-60

Keywords:

Financial disclosure