The Village Board of the Village of Hammondsport
recognizes that there are state statutory provisions mandating municipalities
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 village 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 village'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 village officers to the extent
that the same are more severe in their application than this chapter.
