PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Mayor Nutter hopes his signature on four executive orders will improve Philadelphia’s ethics policies covering most civil service and exempt workers. But it doesn’t extend to city council,  and other elected offices, like the district attorney, sheriff or controller.

The orders — addressing nepotism, outside employment, acceptance of gifts and sexual harassment — strengthen ethical and transparent operations, according to the mayor.

“I took it upon myself, as the executive for the city, to at least cover those over whom I have direct jurisdiction,” Mayor Nutter says.

The executive orders on ethics will regulate the conduct of more than 23,000 city employees — about 87% of the city workforce.

Over the last three years, ethics bills covering the entire city workforce have not moved out of city council committees, because they were never called up for a vote.

Regarding council’s inaction, Nutter says, “I’m not in charge of those other folks.”

The mayor hopes other city offices use the executive orders as a template, to jump on the ethics bandwagon.

Reported by Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio