SAN DIEGO – Mayor Dick Murphy and his staff attended the city's first ethics training session today under the purview of the Ethics Commission.

Murphy repeated that his goal is "to restore the public's confidence in our local government."

The San Diego City Council approved the ethics training plan last Tuesday for the mayor and City Council members, their staffs, other elected officials, senior city employees and members of boards and commissions.

Murphy wanted his staff to be first in line "to show that we think this is very important."

Reporters were allowed to observe the introductory portion of the two-hour session, which more than 20 staffers from Murphy's office attended.

Murphy made creation of the Ethics Commission a top goal. The commission was established in the spring of 2001, and an ethics ordinance was approved earlier this year.

Craig Dunn, a San Diego State University business ethics professor, is running the classes.

He called it a "landmark day" in the city's effort to put in place comprehensive ethics guidelines and train employees.

He said he will provide values-based training so employees can use larger principles – such as "Do not place private gain over public good" – to help guide them through dilemmas.

Dunn has conducted ethics training for some city officials in the past, but with the Ethics Commission and related ordinances in place the training program will cover more employees and be more extensive.

The employees, consultants and appointees required to file a statement of economic interests will have to complete an ethics orientation program within two months of taking the job, then will undergo refresher courses every two years.

The Ethics Commission will manage the training and maintain records.

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