This chapter is to protect Monroe County employees
who make allegations, to the county officials listed in § 8-33
herein, of illegal activity or misconduct.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY OR MISCONDUCT
Any action by an officer or employee of Monroe County which
is undertaken on behalf of the county in violation of any federal,
state or local law, rule or regulation and is economically wasteful.
No county officer or employee may, directly
or indirectly, use or attempt to use his/her official authority or
influence for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, coercing,
commanding, influencing or attempting to intimidate, threaten, coerce,
command or influence any individual for the purpose of interfering
with the right of such individual to disclose information relative
to illegal activity or misconduct. Pursuant to this section, "use
or attempt to use official authority to influence" includes promising
to confer or conferring any benefit or effecting or threatening to
effect any reprisal.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to
mean a limitation on any grievance mechanism or rights of appeal and/or
judicial review currently enjoyed by any Monroe County employee.