[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of High Bridge 2-9-2006 as Sec. 2-55 of the 2006 Code of the Borough of High Bridge.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
No elected or appointed official, officer or employee of the
Borough shall engage in any business transaction or professional activity
or have a financial or other private interest, direct or indirect,
which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his
official duties unless full disclosure is made as to such interest,
in writing, to the Mayor and Council.
No elected or appointed official, officer or employee of the
Borough shall accept other employment or engage in any business transaction
or make any investment which will be detrimental to the Borough in
the exercise of his official duties or interfere in any manner whatsoever
with the discharge of his official duties.
No elected or appointed official, officer or employee shall
accept any gift or gratuity which will become an obligation, whether
in the form of service, loan or promise or in any other form, from
any person, firm or corporation which, to his knowledge, is interested
directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever in business dealings
with the Borough and over which business dealings he has power to
take or influence official action.
No elected or appointed official, officer or employee of the
Borough shall represent any private interests to the detriment of
the Borough or for the purpose of unwarranted personal gain before
any Borough agency or department or the Municipal Judge's Court
or in any litigation in which the Borough is a party.
In the event that any elected or appointed official or in the
event that the Borough Administrator, Borough Clerk, Chief Financial
Officer, Borough Attorney, Borough Engineer or Borough Auditor has
a direct or indirect financial or other private interest in any proposed
legislation, he shall publicly disclose on the official records of
the Borough the nature and extent of such interest.
No elected or appointed official, officer or employee shall
improperly use his official position in order to obtain a personal
discount or other benefit from any person or persons whatsoever.
A Board of Ethics is hereby created, to consist of three members
to include the Council President, the Chairman of the Planning Board
and a member of the public to be appointed by the Mayor with the advice
and consent of the Borough Council and the Borough Attorney, serving
as advisor, all of whom shall serve without compensation, except the
Borough Attorney. If the President of the Council or the Chairman
of the Planning Board is in conflict, an alternate member may be chosen
by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council. The Board members
shall serve for terms of one year and until their successors are appointed
and qualify. The members shall elect a Chairman. The Board of Ethics
shall render advisory opinions with respect to any question arising
under this chapter. Such opinions shall be rendered upon written request
of the Mayor and Council or by the officer or employee concerned.
In the event that any person concerned disagrees with the opinion
rendered, he shall appeal, in writing, to the Mayor and Borough Council
within 15 days of the rendering of such opinion. The Mayor and Borough
Council shall then hold a hearing and shall render a final decision
with respect thereto within 20 days thereafter.
A.
Compliance with this chapter and the opinions rendered by the Board
of Ethics as approved by the Mayor and Borough Council shall be deemed
a condition of employment for all Borough employees. In the event
that any officer or employee should violate any provision of this
chapter or should fail to comply with the opinion rendered by the
Board of Ethics, such action may be considered to constitute misconduct
and may result in the suspension, demotion or dismissal of such officer
or employee by action of the Mayor and Borough Council.
B.
Filing of the state financial disclosure form is required each year.
This form, sometimes called the "ethics form," is filed in duplicate
with the Municipal Clerk. Failure to file such form shall constitute
a resignation.
