Township of Middletown, NJ Article II Conduct of Personnel

[Adopted 8-4-1997 by Ord. No. 97-2479 as Ch. 41, Art. II, of the 1996 Township Code]

§ 78-3 Political activity.

A. A Township officer or employee shall not use or seek to use his authority or influence or his position to control or modify the political action of another person.

B. A Township officer or employee, during the hours of duty, shall not engage in any political activity, nor shall he at any other time participate in political activities so as to impair his usefulness in the position in which he is employed.

C. Upon assuming office, a Township Committeeman shall resign any paid position subordinate to the Committee.

D. No officer or employee shall directly or indirectly give or promise any person any office, position, employment, appointment, benefit or anything of value for the purpose of influencing or obtaining the political support or vote of any person.

§ 78-4 Disclosure of conflicts of interest; disqualification.

Whenever the performance of his official duties shall require any official or employee to deliberate, decide or vote on any matter involving his financial or personal interest, he shall publicly disclose the nature and extent of such interest and disqualify himself from participating in the deliberations as well as in the voting.

§ 78-5 Incompatible activities.

No officer or employee shall engage in private business or employment with or render services for any private person such that:

A. He, the business or person gains or gives the appearance of gaining a competitive advantage over others by virtue of his Township position; or

B. His performance of duty or judgment for the Township will probably be impaired.

§ 78-6 Representation before public bodies.

No officer or employee shall appear as an agent for or on behalf of any private person, other than himself, spouse or minor children, before any public body in the Township except as may be required by a court of law.

§ 78-7 Use of confidential information.

No officer or employee shall use or permit the use of any confidential information concerning any other officer or employee or any other person or any property or governmental affairs of the municipality to advance the financial, political or personal interest of himself or any other person. Nothing herein shall preclude full disclosure to proper investigative bodies of Township, county, state or federal governments.

§ 78-8 Acceptance of gifts and favors.

No officer or employee shall accept any money, favor, loan, special treatment, discount or any other advantage, tangible or intangible, from or on behalf of any person doing business with the Township.

§ 78-9 Violations and penalties.

Any officer or employee of the Township who shall violate any provisions of this article shall be guilty of misconduct in office and shall be subject to suspension, demotion, dismissal or removal from such office for such acts.

§ 78-10 Conflicts with other provisions.

If any provision, paragraph or clause shall be found to be incompatible with any provision of N.J.S.A., Title 11, or any other laws of the State of New Jersey, said provision, paragraph or clause shall be superseded by said statute.

§ 78-11 Use of special privileges.

No officer or employee shall request, accept, use or permit the use of any consideration, treatment, advantage, discount, service or goods or the promise thereof, beyond that which it is the general practice to grant or make available to the public at large.