By George P. Hassett

When aldermen submit their ethics reports this week, city lawyers with black pens will stymie the public’s ability to learn potential conflicts of interest by redacting nearly all information contained in the reports.

But last week four aldermen said they planned to make their ethics reports available to the public in full and some criticized the city solicitor’s redactions as an obstacle to transparent government.

Ward Six Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz submitted an order at Thursday’s Board of Aldermen meeting asking that City Solicitor John Gannon ‚Äúexplain to this Board in writing the authority by which he represented every member of this Board as supporting the redacting of information from ethics and financial reports when no input was solicited from Aldermen in advance and there was no vote taken by this Board on the matter.‚Äù

Gewirtz wrote a letter to Gannon asking that her report be released without redaction. Of 17 categories of financial interest in the report Gewirtz said 16 were not applicable and filled out one – her employment with the National Association of Social Workers.

Last year’s ethics reports for aldermen were nearly completely blacked out with many pieces of public information available elsewhere redacted. City Spokesman Tom Champion said city lawyers should not have redacted the home adresses of elected officials as was originally done. However, all other redactions were justified and required by law, he said.   

Alderman-at-Large William A. White, who said he plans to release his report without redactions this week, said the details of ethics reports were never blacked out until the current administration.

“My recollection is when [the ethics ordinance] was passed in 1997, [then Mayor Michael] Capuano said any citizen could walk in and view the reports,” he said. “It was always intended for public inspection.”

Ward Three Alderman Thomas Taylor and Alderman-at-Large Dennis Sullivan said they will also release their reports to the public. The reports ask aldermen to state their business associations, investments, property holdings and any relatives or clients with interests in city business.

Ward One Alderman Bill Roche said the city’s law office is correct to hide some facts from the public. ‚ÄúWhat reason would someone have to know about the finances of one of our spouses?‚Äù