(10/25) Mayor John Kinnaird has sworn in several members to the Ethics Commission and the Police Commission over the past few meetings.

Pat Rhodes and Carol Robertson were sworn in as members of the Thurmont Ethics Commission at the October 1 meeting. The Ethics Committee consists of three regular and one alternate member appointed by the mayor, with the advice and consent of the Board of Commissioners. Teresa Bean currently serves as the third member of the Commission.

In 2010, Maryland municipalities were required to adopt local ethics laws that included conflicts of interest and financial disclosures that were equivalent to the state provisions. Thurmont adopted its ethics ordinance law and the Ethics Commission approved the law as being in compliance with the Maryland Public Ethics Law in 2014.

The Town’s Ethics Commission was established in 2014 as part of the effort to come into compliance with the Maryland Public Ethics Law. The Commission is tasked with investigating complaints about Thurmont officials, while also serving as a consulting team to advise town officials and staff on the application of the Town’s ethics code to their day-to-day duties, specifically with regards to issues of potential conflict of interest and prohibited activities, such as use of office for personal gain. Commission members serve for four years.

John Bern and Mitch Delph were sworn into the Police Commission at the same meeting. The appointment of Bern and Delph came on the heels of the appointment of Matt Westbrook and the

reappointment of Jim Robbins at the August 27th Town Council meeting. Westbrook was sworn in at the September 3rd meeting and Robbins at the September 17th meeting. "We have some very hard-working men and women in our department and I enjoy the camaraderie and working with them," Robbins said. "I thank you for approving me for another term."

The Police Commission is an advisory body to the Thurmont Board of Commissioners on matters relating to the Thurmont Police Department. The Commission is currently chaired by Ed Hutson and in addition to the four individuals named, includes Greg Seymoire, Shawn Martyak, and Cathy Maddox. Commissioner Bill Blakeslee serves as the Town Council’s liaison to the Commission.

"Thanks to our volunteers for serving on our commissions," Kinnaird said after the swearing in ceremonies. "You make our town run better and take care of a lot of issues and discussions behind the scenes on behalf of our residents and the Board of Commissioners, so thank you very much for volunteering."