But does this "government in the sunshine" plan have a dark secret?

A number of County Council members say so. Sure, the overhaul caps campaign contributions, forces lobbyists to register and bans contractors from giving to candidates. But the driving force that prompted the proposal - elimination of car allowances - includes a potentially costly loophole.

Under the new rules, dozens of county executives will see their car allowance - a monthly average of $550 - rolled into their salary. But beginning Jan. 1, they also will be eligible to collect mileage reimbursement at taxpayer expense for any business-related travel.

"That, to me, is double dipping," says Councilwoman-elect Jenny Wilson, who supports killing the mileage benefit for all elected and appointed officials. "Otherwise, [the car allowance] is just a pay raise. And that doesn't seem right to me."

David Marshall, the county's chief administrative officer, says the potential hit to county coffers is an "immaterial" amount of money. "I just don't see it as a big issue," he says.

Mayor-elect Peter Corroon disagrees, fearing that future administrators receiving the car allowance will also tap the mileage perk.

"If memories fade, who knows what might happen?" he says. "There should be something in writing to close that loophole."

A significant segment - all members of the mayor's administration as well as the county's three department directors and their associates - will not receive the car compensation in their paychecks.

But the money will go to 58 other executives, including division directors and their associates as well as elected officials and chief deputies, according to Larry Moller, fiscal administrator for the mayor's office.

Those submitting mileage forms also stand to make more starting next month when the county bumps its reimbursement rate from 37.5 cents per mile to 40.5, in accordance with the new federal rate.

Councilman David Wilde, who has criticized the swift pace of the ethics overhaul, calls the mileage allowance a "double recovery."

"If I was in the public, I would be a little concerned about that," he says.

But council Chairman Steve Harmsen says it is simply the cost of doing business in a scandal-scarred government.

"What we're doing is trading off a small incremental increase in money for accuracy in reporting," he says. "We felt that in 99 percent of the circumstances, nobody is doing any real county driving. If they are, then they're going to have to document it."

Felix McGowan, the county's personnel director, "can't imagine" division chiefs or elected officials taking the time to chart their odometer and file a mileage form because of the hassle.

"Even though there might be suspicions out there, I suspect it won't happen," he says.

If it does, Councilman Cortlund Ashton worries about the cost.

"How many people have been driving around who never submitted mileage who will now submit?" he asks. "I know we didn't really address it."

Acting Mayor Alan Dayton, who shepherded the ethics reform package, now says the new rules need tweaking to eliminate mileage reimbursements for executives.

"My goal was not to give anybody an opportunity to make more money under a fleet, but to end the practice of hidden compensation," Dayton says. "Anybody who tries to get [mileage] should be dragged through the public square and chained."

djensen@sltrib.com