GARDEN GROVE : City Adopts Rules on Business Cards

In the future, City Council members will have less leeway about what they can put on their business cards.

The council voted unanimously this week to prohibit references to council members’ businesses on cards paid for by the city and bearing the city logo. The new policy also prohibits use of city business cards to further personal business or for personal gain.

Councilman Mark Leyes raised the issue, saying he thought Councilman J. Tilman Williams’ practice of including a reference to his business on the cards and stapling them to flyers he delivers door-to-door is unethical.

Williams said he was just following the example of a former mayor, who listed his law office and address on business cards.

The new policy will apply to business cards ordered in the future but will not affect Williams for a while because he recently received an order of 4,000 cards.

“I don’t want to throw these things out and order more,” Williams said.

City Manager George Tindall said the total cost for Williams’ recent card order was about $400. Other council members usually order cards in quantities of 500 to 1,000 cards, but no other members have ordered cards recently, city staff members said.