Board of Ethics

Ethics Board Meetings 2024

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, Council Chambers at 6:30 PM. All meetings are open to the public. If there is no new business before the board, the monthly meeting will be canceled.

• January 16
• February 13 - Canceled
• March 12
• April 16 - Canceled
• May 14 - Canceled
• June 11
• July 16
• August 13
• September 17
• October 15 
• November 12 
• December 10

2024 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinion

About the Board

The Board of Ethics is a seven-member board established by Section 2-18 of the City Charter and appointed by the City Council.  The board renders written advisory opinions to City officers and employees with respect to the City’s Code of Ethics and Article 18 of the General Municipal Law.  Any relevant matter may be brought before the Board for an opinion upon the written request of any City officer or employee or upon the initiative of the Board. Any opinions rendered by the Board are forwarded both to the requesting person and the affected City officer or employee and filed in the office of the City Clerk.  Requests for advisory opinions and the resulting opinions are available for public inspection and copying pursuant to the provisions and procedures of the Freedom of Information Law and of the City Charter. In addition, the Board may make recommendations to the City Council with respect to the drafting and adoption of amendments to the Code of Ethics.

Requests for an advisory opinion may be submitted to:

    Secretary of the Board of Ethics

    Office of Public Integrity

    85 Allen St, Suite 100

    Rochester, NY 14608

Requests may also be emailed to: OPI.mail@cityofrochester.gov

* Submissions to the Secretary less than ten (10) days prior to a scheduled meeting will be deferred to the Board's subsequent meeting.

Ethics Board Membership

Pursuant to the City Charter, Ethics Board members consist of one City Councilperson, a department head or other City officer or employee of equivalent rank or title designated by the Mayor, who serves as the Board’s Secretary, and five other members who shall not be City officers or employees, not more than three of whom out of the five shall be members of the same political party.

Current Board Members 

• Douglas Escher, Chair
• Timothy Weir, Secretary
• Vice President Councilmember, LaShay Harris
• James Patterson
• Kevin Graham
• Corporation Counsel Patrick Beath serves as Legal Adviser to the Board
• Two Ethics Board member vacancies

Ethics Board Meetings 2023

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, Council Chambers at 6:30 PM. All meetings are open to the public. If there is no new business before the board, the monthly meeting will be canceled.

• January 17 - Canceled
• February 14 - Cancelled
• March 14 - Canceled
• April 18 - Canceled
• May 16 - Canceled
• June 13 - Canceled
• July 11 - Canceled
• August 15 - Canceled
• September 12 - Canceled
• October 10 
• November 21 
• December 12

2023 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinion

Ethics Board Meetings 2022

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, Council Chambers at 6:30 PM.  All meetings are open to the public.

• January 11 - Canceled
• February 8 - Canceled
• March 8 - Canceled
• April 5 - Canceled
• May 3 - Canceled
• June 7 - Canceled
• July 12 - Canceled
• August 9 - Canceled
• September 13 - Canceled
• October 11 - Canceled
• November 22 - Canceled
• December 13 - Canceled

Ethics Board Meetings 2021

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, City Council Chambers at 6:30 PM.  All meetings are open to the public.

• January 12 - Canceled
• February 9 - Canceled
• March 9 - Canceled
• April 6 - Canceled
• May 4 - Canceled
• June 8 Remote access.
• July 13
• August 10 - Canceled
• September 7 - Remote access.
• October 5 - Canceled
• November 16 - Remote access.
• December 7 - Remote access.

 2021 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinion

Ethics Board Meetings 2020

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, Council Chambers at 6:30 PM.  All meetings are open to the public.

• May 5 — Remote access
• June 9 — Remote access
• July 14 — Remote access  

   2020 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinions 

Ethics Board Meetings 2019

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, City Council Chambers at 6:30 PM.  All meetings are open to the public.

• January 8
• March 12
• October 8 

2019 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinions

Ethics Board Meetings 2018

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, Conference Room 208A at 6:30 PM.  All meetings are open to the public.

• January 16
• April 10
• May 8
• July 10
• August 14
• September 11
• October 9
• November 13

2018 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinions

Ethics Board Meetings 2017

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, Conference Room 208A at 6:30 PM.  All meetings are open to the public.

• June 13
• July 11
• August 8
• December 12

2017 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinions

Ethics Board Meetings 2016

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, Conference Room 208A at 6:30 PM.  All meetings are open to the public.

• January 25, 2016

 2016 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinions

Ethics Board Meetings 2015

 The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, Conference Room 208A, at 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.   All meetings are open to the public.

• February 10, 2015
• March 10, 2015
• April 21, 2015
• May 12, 2015

 2015 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinions

Ethics Board Meetings 2014

The Ethics Board meetings are held at City Hall, Conference Room 208A at 6:30 PM on a monthly basis. All meetings are open to the public.

• May 13, 2014
• June 10, 2014
• July 15, 2014
• August 12, 2014
• September 9, 2014
• October 21, 2014
• November 18, 2014
• December 9, 2014

2014 Agendas, Minutes and Advisory Opinions