The words used in this chapter shall have their normal accepted
meanings except as set forth below:
BUSINESS ENTITY
Any corporation, general or limited partnership, sole proprietorship,
limited-liability partnership or corporation, private consultant operation,
joint venture, unincorporated association or firm, institution, trust,
foundation or other organization, whether or not operated for profit.
CITY
The Mayor and City Council of Havre de Grace, a municipal
corporation of the State of Maryland.
COMMISSION
The Havre de Grace Ethics Commission established pursuant
to this chapter.
COMPENSATION
Any money or thing of value, regardless of form, received
or to be received by any individual covered by this chapter from an
employer for service rendered.
DOING BUSINESS WITH
A.
Having or negotiating a contract that involves the commitment
or receipt of City or City-controlled funds; or
B.
Being regulated by or otherwise under the authority of the City.
FINANCIAL INTEREST
A.
Ownership of any interest as the result of which the owner has
received $1,000, within the past year, or is presently receiving,
or in the future is entitled to receive, compensation; or
B.
Ownership, or the ownership of securities of any kind representing
or convertible into ownership, of more than 3% of a business entity.
GIFT
The transfer of anything of economic value, regardless of
the form, without adequate and lawful consideration. "Gift" does not
include the solicitation, acceptance, receipt or regulation of political
campaign contributions regulated in accordance with the provisions
of the Election Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, or any
other provision of state or Harford County law regulating the conduct
of elections or the receipt of political campaign contributions. Notwithstanding
the above, "gift" includes any transfer in the aggregate from one
person greater than $100 for the reporting period to any elected official
or candidate for elected office in a City election. Campaign contributions
are a separate form of gift that elected officials or candidates for
elected office shall disclose.
INTEREST
Any legal or equitable economic interest, whether or not
subject to an encumbrance or a condition, which was owned or held,
in whole or in part, jointly or severally, directly or indirectly.
For purposes of this chapter, "interest" applies to any interests
held at any time during the reporting period. "Interest" does not
include:
A.
An interest held in the capacity of a personal agent, representative,
custodian, fiduciary or trustee, unless the holder has an equitable
interest therein;
B.
An interest in a time or demand deposit in a financial institution;
C.
An interest in an insurance policy, endowment policy or annuity
contract under which an insurance company promises to pay a fixed
number of dollars either in a lump sum or periodically for life or
some other specified period; or
D.
A common trust fund or a trust which forms part of a pension
or profit-sharing plan which has more than 25 participants and which
has been determined by the Internal Revenue Service to be a qualified
trust or college savings plan.
OFFICIAL or EMPLOYEE
Any person elected to, appointed to or employed by the City
or any City agency, board, commission or similar entity, whether or
not paid, in whole or in part, with City funds and whether or not
compensated.
PERSON
Includes an individual or business entity.
QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY
An entity that is created by state statute, that performs
a public function, and that is supported in whole or in part by the
state but is managed privately.
[Added 1-3-2023 by Ord. No. 1092]
The City has received an exemption from the State Ethics Commission;
no lobbying law is required at this time.