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Cook County commissioners Tuesday approved changes to the county's ethics ordinance that largely mirror new state mandates while the city of Chicago prepared its own revisions. Ethics reforms passed by the state last year included provisions that local governments adopt regulations governing political activities and gifts. With amendments passed Tuesday by the Finance Committee, Cook County would bring its ordinance into compliance while also making a few more changes that were not mandated. Among the changes, the county gave its ethics board the power to initiate its own investigations as opposed to acting solely upon complaints. The county also strengthened language dealing with employees who quit to go work for contractors with whom they had dealings while employed by the county. "It raises the bar on ethical responsibility for county employees and elected officials," said Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley, who pushed for more stringent regulations. Board approval is expected because the Finance Committee is a committee of the whole. On Wednesday, Mayor Richard Daley is expected to introduce a measure before the City Council that would also bring the city's ethics ordinance into compliance with state law. The proposed alterations represent fine-tuning rather than an overhaul, said Jennifer Hoyle, a spokeswoman for the city's Law Department. Among the recommended changes, the mayor's proposal would expand the definition of relatives in sections of the city ordinance that prohibit employees from overseeing relatives. The new relations include great-aunts, great-uncles and first cousins.