Public officials and employees are agents of public purpose
and hold office for the benefit of the public. They are bound to uphold
the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this
state and to carry out impartially the laws of the nation, state and
Village and thus to foster respect of all government. They are bound
to observe in their official acts the highest standards of morality
and to discharge faithfully the duties of their office regardless
of personal considerations, recognizing that the public interest must
be their primary concern.
The following definitions shall be applicable in this chapter:
ANYTHING OF VALUE
Any money or property, favor, service, payment, advance,
forbearance, loan, or promise of future employment, but does not include
compensation and expenses paid by the state, fees and expenses which
are permitted and reported under § 19.56, Wis. Stats., political
contributions which are reported under Ch. 11, Wis. Stats., or hospitality
extended for a purpose unrelated to state business by a person other
than an organization.
ASSOCIATED
When used with reference to an organization, includes any
organization in which an individual or a member of his or her immediate
family is a director, officer or trustee or owns or controls, directly
or indirectly, and severally or in the aggregate, at least 10% of
the outstanding equity.
EMPLOYEE
Any person meeting the qualifications of "employee" as listed
in the Village of Belleville Administrative Policy and Procedure Manual.
GIFT
The payment or receipt of anything of value without valuable
consideration.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
A.
An individual's spouse; and
B.
An individual's relative by marriage, lineal descent or
adoption who receives, directly or indirectly, more than 1/2 of his
or her support from the individual or from whom the individual receives,
directly or indirectly, more than 1/2 of his or her support.
LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICE
A.
An elective office of a local government.
B.
A county administrator or administrative coordinator or a city
or village manager/administrator.
C.
An appointive office or position of a local government in which
an individual serves for a specified term, except a position limited
to the exercise of ministerial action or a position filled by an independent
contractor.
D.
An appointive office or position of a local government which
is filled by the governing body of the local government or the executive
or administrative head of the local government and in which the incumbent
serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority, except a clerical
position, a position limited to the exercise of a ministerial action
or a position filled by an independent contractor.
MINISTERIAL ACTION
An action that an individual performs in a given state of
facts in a prescribed manner in obedience to the mandate of legal
authority, without regard to the exercise of the individual's
own judgment as to the propriety of the action being taken.
ORGANIZATION
Any corporation, partnership, proprietorship, firm, enterprise,
franchise, association, trust or other legal entity other than an
individual or body politic.
Any member of the Village Board who has a financial interest
in any proposed legislation before the Village Board shall disclose
in the records of the Village Board the nature and extent of such
interest prior to or during the initial discussion on said legislation.
Any other local public official or employee who has a financial interest
in any proposed legislative action of the Village Board and who participates
in the discussion with or gives an official opinion or recommendation
to the Village Board shall disclose in the records of the Village
Board the nature and extent of such interest.
Violation of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty as provided in §
1-4 of this Code.