All Council persons, the City Manager and Department directors and assistant directors, before commencing their official duties, shall take and sign an oath of office as shall from time to time be prescribed by law. Such oath shall be taken and signed before the City Clerk, Mayor, a judge, Magisterial District Judge or notary public of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This oath shall be filed in written form with the City Clerk prior to assuming office.
All Council persons, the City Manager, and all City employees in the administrative service, before commencing their official duties, shall affirm to a code of ethics as may be adopted by the City from time to time. The signed affirmation of such code of ethics by Council persons, the City Manager and Department directors and assistant directors shall be filed with the City Clerk.
Except as otherwise provided in this Administrative Code, and for the purpose of inquiries and investigations, the Council or its members shall deal with employees in the administrative service solely through the City Manager and neither the Council nor its members shall give orders to such employees either publicly or privately.
Any City officer or employee who has a substantial financial interest, direct or indirect, or by reason of ownership of stock in any corporation, in any contract with the City or in the sale of any land, material, supplies or services to the City or to a contractor supplying the City shall make known that interest and shall refrain from voting upon or otherwise participating in his capacity as a City officer or employee in the making of such sale or in the making or performance of such contract. Any City officer or employee who willfully conceals such a substantial financial interest or willfully violates the requirements of this section shall be guilty of malfeasance in office or position and shall forfeit his office or position. Violation of this section with the knowledge, express or implied, of the person or corporation contracting with or making a sale to the City shall render the contract or sale voidable by the City Manager or the City Council.
In connection with every election to municipal office, each candidate for nomination or election, and every treasurer of a political committee or person acting as treasurer shall file with the City Clerk a public account of receipts and expenses 30 days subsequent to the election. An executed copy of the form required to be filed in Mercer County by the State election laws will be sufficient for compliance.
A. 
General.
(1) 
No candidate for election, appointment or promotion with respect to any municipal position shall directly or indirectly give or promise, render or pay any money, service or other valuable thing to any person for the purpose of influencing or obtaining the support, aid or vote for or in connection with the individual's election, appointment or promotion.
(2) 
No elected official or employee shall in any manner receive benefit from the profits or emoluments of any contract, job or service for the City, or accept any service or thing of value, directly or indirectly, upon more favorable terms than those granted to the public generally, from any person, dealing with the City.
(3) 
No elected official or employee shall solicit or receive any compensation, gratuity or other thing of value for any act done in the course of public service, except compensation for the position or employment held in the City.
(4) 
No elected official or employee shall compel another employee to contribute to any fund other than required by law or ordinance.
(5) 
No individual shall be appointed to or removed from or in any way favored or discriminated against with respect to any municipal employment or appointive office because of race, sex, political or religious opinions or affiliations.
(6) 
No individual shall willfully make any false statement, certificate, mark, rating or report in regard to any test, certification or appointment under the personnel provisions of the City; or in any manner commit or attempt to commit any fraud preventing the impartial execution of such provisions.
B. 
Elected officials. No elected official shall hold any other compensated position of the City.
C. 
Employees. Employees are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity during working hours and at all times in municipal office and facilities.
Any person convicted of a felony, or crime or offense involving moral turpitude shall, while under sentence, be ineligible to assume any municipal elected office, position or employment and, upon conviction thereof while in office or employment, shall forfeit such office or employment.
A. 
The amount of any balance or shortage, or any expenditure of a fund, made in a manner prohibited or unauthorized by law, which causes financial loss to the City, shall be a surcharge against any official or employee who, by malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance, has permitted or approved such expenditure or shortage to occur.
B. 
Any shortage or illegal expenditure in any report filed by the independent auditor to the Council against any official or employee, shall constitute a surcharge, and unless appeal is taken, the Council shall cause same to be entered in the office of the Prothonotary of the County of Mercer as a judgment against the one surcharged in favor of the City.
C. 
In those instances where the Council finds that the shortage or expenditure, as aforesaid, was not caused by malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance of the official or employee responsible therefor, but occurred despite the good faith of such person, the shortage shall not be entered as a surcharge, but the Council shall issue a special report on the matter and shall hold a public hearing concerning the report within 30 days after the issuance thereof.
D. 
It shall be lawful for the City, or any resident thereof on its behalf, or any official or employee whose account is settled or audited, to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Mercer from the settlement or audit as shown on the report of the auditor to the Council, not later than 45 days after public notice of the filing of the report.
E. 
Judgments caused to be entered by the Council or by the court after hearing on appeal shall be enforced by appropriate proceedings.
A. 
The Council shall prescribe bonds for all City officials for whom it deems coverage is necessary and set the amount of the coverage. Such bonds shall be filed with the City Clerk and approved by the City Attorney before entering upon the duties of their respective offices.
B. 
The expense for all fidelity bonds shall be borne by the City.
Police employed by the City shall be ex-officio constables of the Commonwealth and shall have the powers and prerogatives conferred on police officers by law. Police, when acting as constables, shall have the authority to serve, execute all criminal processes for the violation of City ordinances which may be issued, and the fees and costs collected in such capacity shall be paid into the City treasury.
Whenever any time established by this article for the taking of any action expires on a Sunday or on a legal holiday, such time shall not expire on said day but shall expire on the next week day.
Where law or ordinance prescribes certain functions to be performed by a designated department head under the former form of government, such function shall be performed by the equivalent department head to which the respective functions have been assigned by this Administrative Code.