[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of Northfield 9-8-2009 by Ord. No.
15-2009. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Officers and employees — See Ch. 43.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "City of
Northfield Code of Ethics."
The Council of the City of Northfield finds and declares that:
A.Â
Public office and employment are a public trust.
B.Â
The vitality and stability of representative democracy depend upon
the public's confidence in the integrity of its elected and appointed
representatives.
C.Â
Whenever the public perceives a conflict between the private interests
and the public duties of a government officer or employee, that confidence
is imperiled.
D.Â
Governments have the duty both to provide their citizens with standards
by which they may determine whether public duties are being faithfully
performed and to apprise their officers and employees of the behavior
which is expected of them while conducting their public duties.
A.Â
It is the purpose of this chapter to provide a method of assuring
that standards of ethical conduct for officers and employees of the
City of Northfield shall be clear, consistent, uniform in their application
and enforceable and to provide those officers or employees with advice
and information concerning possible conflicts of interest which might
arise in the conduct of their public duties.
B.Â
It is the further purpose of this chapter to implement the provisions
of the Local Government Ethics Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.1 et seq.
C.Â
This chapter is enacted under the authority of the Local Government
Ethics Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.1 et seq.
As used in this chapter, the following words, expressions, and
terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly
indicates a different meaning:
Any agency, board, governing body, Mayor, office, commission
or other instrumentality within the City of Northfield, and any independent
local authority created by or appointed under the authority of the
City of Northfield, which performs functions other than of a purely
advisory nature.
Any corporation, partnership, firm, enterprise, franchise,
association, trust, sole proprietorship, union or other legal entity.
Any person, whether compensated or not, whether part-time
or full-time, employed by or serving on a City of Northfield agency
who is not a local government officer.
The ownership or control of more than 10% of the profits,
assets or stock of a business organization, but shall not include
the control of assets in a nonunion profit entity or labor union.
The spouse or dependent child of an officer or employee residing
in the same household.
Any person, whether compensated or not, whether part-time
or full-time, elected to an office in the City of Northfield; serving
on a City of Northfield agency or board which has the authority to
enact ordinances, approve development applications or grant zoning
variances; or who is a managerial executive or confidential employee
of an agency of the City of Northfield, as defined in Section 3 of
the New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act, N.J.S.A. 34:13A-3.
An officer or employee of the City of Northfield or of an
agency under the authority of or appointed by the City of Northfield.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all employees,
elected officials and appointed officials of the City of Northfield.
All officers and employees of the City of Northfield shall comply
with the following provisions:
A.Â
No officer or employee of the City of Northfield or member of his
or her immediate family shall have an interest in a business organization
or engage in any business, transaction or professional activity which
is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his or her
duties in the public interest.
B.Â
No officer or employee shall use or attempt to use his or her official
position to secure unwarranted privileges or advantages for himself,
herself or others.
C.Â
The City, for a period of one year next subsequent to the termination
of office of a member of an authority, shall not award any contract
which is not publicly bid to a former member of that authority.
D.Â
No officer or employee shall act in his or her official capacity
in any matter where he or she or a member of his or her immediate
family or any business organization in which he or she has an interest
has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might
reasonably be expected to impair his or her objectivity or independence
of judgment.
E.Â
No officer or employee shall undertake any employment or service,
whether compensated or not, which might reasonably be expected to
prejudice his or her independence of judgment in the exercise of his
or her official duties.
F.Â
No officer or employee, member of his or her immediate family or
any business organization in which he or she has an interest shall
solicit or accept any gift, favor, political contribution, service,
promise of future employment or other thing of value based upon an
understanding that the gift, favor, loan, contribution, service, promise
or other thing of value was given or offered for the purpose of influencing
him or her, directly or indirectly, in the discharge of his or her
official duties. This provision shall not apply to the solicitation
or acceptance of contributions to the campaign of an announced candidate
for elective public office if the officer has no knowledge or reason
to believe that the campaign contribution, if accepted, was given
with the intent to influence the officer in the discharge of his or
her official duties.
G.Â
No officer or employee shall use or allow to be used his or her public
office or employment or any information not generally available to
the members of the public, which he or she receives or acquires in
the course of and by reason of his or her office or employment, for
the purpose of securing financial gain for himself or herself, any
member of his or her immediate family or any business organization
with which he or she is associated.
H.Â
No officer or employee or any business organization in which he or
she has an interest shall represent any person or party other than
the City of Northfield in connection with any cause, proceeding, application
or other matter pending before any agency of the City of Northfield.
This provision shall not be deemed to prohibit an employee from representing
another employee where the representation is within the context of
official labor union or similar representational responsibilities.
I.Â
No officer shall be deemed in conflict with these provisions if,
by reason of his or her participation in the enactment of any ordinance,
resolution or other matter required to be voted upon or which is subject
to executive approval or veto, no material or monetary gain accrues
to him or her as a member of any business, profession, occupation
or group to any greater extent than any gain could reasonably be expected
to accrue to any other member of such business, profession, occupation
or group.
J.Â
No elected officer shall be prohibited from making an inquiry for
information on behalf of a constituent if no fee, reward or other
thing of value is promised to, given to or accepted by the officer
or a member of his or her immediate family, whether directly or indirectly,
in return therefor.
K.Â
Nothing shall prohibit any officer or employee of the City of Northfield
or members of his or her immediate family from representing himself,
herself or themselves in negotiations or proceedings concerning his,
her or their own interests.
The provisions set forth in § 22-6 of this chapter shall serve as a Code of Ethics.
Any violation of the Code of Ethics should be filed with the
Local Finance Board.
