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Ethics Commission <br /> Advisory Opinion No. 229 <br /> Page 4 <br /> This distinction is significant because of <br /> the above - quoted <br /> definition of "public employees" contained in the Code of Governmental Ethics. <br /> Under subsection "a" of the definition of "public employee," a <br /> person becomes a "public employee" if he is "[a]n administrative officer or <br /> official of a governmental entity who is not filling an elective office." <br /> Because these volunteers are serving only the Governor - Elect, they will not be <br /> serving as "administrative officers or officials of a governmental entity." <br /> Governor -Elect Roemer is not yet governor, and an appointment by him to serve <br /> him in this manner does not render such volunteers administrative officers or <br /> officials of the State. <br /> Subsection (b) refers to persons appointed to serve in an official <br /> capacity by an elected official such as the governor. For example in Ethics <br /> Commission Advisory Opinion No. 81 -102, the Commission concluded that • <br /> volunteers appointed by a parish council to serve on the parish's "Insurance <br /> Advisory Committee ", a committee of insurance professionals charged with the <br /> responsibility of formulating advice and recommendations concerning parish <br /> insurance coverage and purchases were public employees pursuant to Subsection <br /> (b). <br /> However, Governor -Elect Roemer is not yet a state elected official. <br /> The term "elected official" is defined in the Code to mean "any person holding <br /> an office in a governmental entity [that is, state or local government] which <br /> is filled by the vote of the appropriate electorate." (Emphasis added.) Thus, <br /> while persons appointed to serve on the Special Council on Governmental Review <br /> and Efficiency or the Cost Control Commission by Governors Treen and Edwards <br /> were public employees pursuant to this subsection of the Code, because they <br /> were appointed by elected officials to serve the State in an official • <br /> capacity, persons appointed to serve as volunteer advisors to Governor -Elect <br />