[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of North Syracuse 1-28-1999 by L.L. No. 1-1999 as Ch. 17 of the 1999 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Officers and employees — See Ch. 35.
Personnel policies — See Ch. 40.
Pursuant to the provisions of § 806 of the General Municipal Law, the Board of Trustees of the Village of North Syracuse recognizes that there are rules of ethical conduct for public officers and employees which must be observed if a high degree of moral conduct is to be obtained and if public confidence is to be maintained in our unit of local government. It is the purpose of this article to promulgate these rules of ethical conduct for the officers and employees of the Village of North Syracuse. These rules shall serve as a guide for official conduct of the officers and employees of the Village of North Syracuse. The rules of ethical conduct of this article, as adopted and amended, shall not conflict with but shall be in addition to any prohibition of Article 18 of the General Municipal law or any other general or special law relating to ethical conduct and interest in contracts of municipal officers and employees.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CONTRACT
Any claim, account or demand against or agreement with a municipality, express or implied, and shall include the designation of a depository of public funds and the designation of a newspaper, including but not limited to an official newspaper, for the publication of any notice, resolution, ordinance, or other proceeding where such publication is required or authorized by law.
INTEREST
A direct or indirect pecuniary or material benefit accruing to a municipal officer or employee as the result of a contract with the Village of North Syracuse. For the purposes of this article, a municipal officer or employee shall be deemed to have an interest in the contract of his spouse, minor children and dependents, except a contract of employment with the Village of North Syracuse; a firm, partnership or association of which such officer or employee is a member or employee; a corporation of which such officer or employee is an officer, director or employee; and a corporation any stock of which is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such officer or employee.
MUNICIPAL OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE
An officer or employee of the Village of North Syracuse, whether paid or unpaid, including members of any administrative board, commission or other agency thereof. No person shall be deemed to be a municipal officer or employee solely by reason of being a volunteer fireman or civil defense volunteer, except a fire chief or assistant fire chief.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
Every officer or employee of the Village of North Syracuse shall be subject to and abide by the following standards of conduct:
A. 
Gifts. He shall not, directly or indirectly, solicit any gift having a value of $75 or more, whether in the form of money, services, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise, or any other form, under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred that the gift was intended to influence him or could reasonably be expected to influence him in the performance of his official duties or was intended as a reward for any official action on his part.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
B. 
Confidential information. He shall not disclose confidential information acquired by him in the course of his official duties or use such information to further his personal interest.
C. 
Representation before any agency. He shall not receive or enter into any agreement, express or implied, for compensation for services to be rendered by him in relation to any matter before any municipal agency of his municipality.
D. 
Disclosure of interest in legislation. To the extent that he knows thereof, a member of the Board of Trustees and any officer or employee of the Village of North Syracuse, whether paid or unpaid, who participates in a discussion or gives official opinion to the Board of Trustees on any legislation before the Board of Trustees shall publicly disclose on the official record the nature and extent of any direct or indirect financial or other private interest he has in such legislation.
E. 
Disclosure of interest in a matter before any municipal agency. To the extent that he knows thereof, any Village officer or employee, whether paid or unpaid, who has an interest in any matter that is before any agency of the Village shall publicly disclose on the official record the nature and extent of such interest, whether direct or indirect.
F. 
Investments in conflict with official duties. He shall not invest or hold any investment directly or indirectly in any financial, business, commercial or other private transaction which creates a conflict with his official duties.
G. 
Private employment. He shall not engage in, solicit, negotiate for or promise to accept private employment or render services for private interests when such employment or service creates a conflict with or impairs the proper discharge of his official duties.
H. 
Future employment. He shall not, after the termination of service or employment with such municipality, appear before any board or agency of the Village of North Syracuse in relation to any case, proceeding or application in which he personally participated during the period of his service or employment or which was under his active consideration.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to bar or prevent the timely filing by a present or former municipal officer or employee of any claim, account, demand or suit against the Village of North Syracuse or any agency thereof on behalf of himself or any member of his family arising out of any personal injury or property damage for any lawful benefit authorized or permitted by law.
The Mayor of the Village of North Syracuse shall cause a copy of this Code of Ethics to be distributed to every officer and employee of the Village of North Syracuse within 10 days after the effective date of this article. Each officer and employee elected or appointed thereafter shall be furnished a copy before entering upon the duties of his office or employment. Failure to distribute any such copy or failure of any officer or employee to receive such copy shall have no effect on the duty of compliance with such code nor the enforcement of provisions thereof.
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision of law, any person who shall knowingly and intentionally violate any of the provisions of this code may be fined, suspended or removed from office or employment, as the case may be, in the manner provided by law.
There is hereby established a Board of Ethics consisting of five members to be appointed by the Board of Trustees and who shall serve without compensation and at the pleasure of said Board of Trustees. A majority of such members shall be persons other than officers or employees of the Village of North Syracuse, but said Board of Ethics shall include at least one member who is an elected or appointed officer or employee of said Village.
The Board of Ethics shall have the powers and duties prescribed by Article 18 of the General Municipal Law and shall render advisory opinions to the officers and employees of the Village of North Syracuse with respect to Article 18 of the General Municipal Law and any Code of Ethics adopted pursuant to such article, under such rules and regulations as the Board of Ethics may prescribe. In addition, the Board of Ethics may make recommendations with respect to amendments to the Code of Ethics of the Village of North Syracuse upon request for the same.