The Town Board of the Town of Lewisboro recognizes that there
are state statutory provisions mandating towns to establish rules
and standards of ethical conduct for public officers and employees,
which, if observed, can enhance public confidence in local government.
In the light of a tendency today on the part of some people to downgrade
our local governments and to discredit our public servants and our
free institutions generally, it appears necessary that every effort
be made to assure the highest caliber of public administration of
this Town as part of our state's important system of local government.
It is the purpose of this chapter to implement this objective through
the establishment of standards of conduct, to provide for punishment
of violation of such standards and to create a Board of Ethics to
render advisory opinions to the Town's officers and employees
as provided for herein.
The standards, prohibited acts and procedures established herein
are in addition to any prohibited acts, conflicts of interest provisions
or procedures prescribed by statute of the State of New York and also
in addition to common law rules and judicial decisions relating to
the conduct of Town officers to the extent at the same are more severe
in their application than this chapter.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
TOWN
Any board, commission, district, council or other agency,
department or unit or the government of the Town of Lewisboro.
TOWN EMPLOYEE
Any officer or employee of the Town of Lewisboro, whether
paid or unpaid, whether serving in a full-time, part-time or advisory
capacity.
No Town employee shall have any interest, financial or otherwise,
direct or indirect or engage in any business or transaction or professional
activity or incur any obligation of any nature which is in substantial
conflict with the proper discharge of his duties in the public interest.
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision
of law, any such Town employee who shall knowingly and intentionally
violate any of the provisions of this chapter may be fined, suspended
or removed from office or employment in the manner provided by law.
Upon the adoption of this chapter, the Town Supervisor shall
cause a copy thereof to be distributed to every Town employee of this
Town. Failure to distribute any such copy or failure of any Town employee
to receive such copy shall have no effect on the duty of compliance
with this code, nor the enforcement of provisions thereof. The Town
Supervisor shall further cause a copy of this chapter to be kept posted
conspicuously in each public building under the jurisdiction of the
Town. Failure to so post this chapter shall have no effect on the
duty of compliance herewith, nor the enforcement provisions hereof.
Within 30 days of the adoption of this chapter, the Town Clerk
shall file a copy thereof in the office of the State Comptroller.
The Town Board may appropriate moneys from the general Town
funds for the maintenance of and for personnel services to the Board
of Ethics established hereunder, but such Board of Ethics may not
commit the expenditure of Town moneys except within the appropriations
provided herein.