On Tuesday, Phoenix City Council voted unanimously to move forward with creating a bipartisan ethics commission. The commission would screen allegations and recommend penalties for city officials who violate the city’s gift policies and other related rules.

Under a plan laid out by a City Council member, potential commissioners are screened by a city board and ultimately appointed by City Council. Phoenix’s current ethics rules are unenforceable as the city lacks a mechanism for investigating ethics complaints and recommending punishment.

This is not the first time Phoenix has attempted to create an ethics commission; previous attempts have been unsuccessful in part due to concerns about the commission becoming a political attack tool.

City Council will still need to approve a final ordinance in order to establish an ethics commission. A final vote on the matter is expected this spring.