[Ord. 105, 4/13/1976; as revised by Ord. 374, 1/10/1989]
1. 
The public judges its government by the way public officials and employees conduct themselves in the posts to which they are elected or appointed. The people have a right to expect that every public official and employee will conduct themselves in a manner that will tend to preserve public confidence in and respect for the government they represent. Such confidence and respect can best be promoted if every public official and employee, whether paid or unpaid and whether elected or appointed, will uniformly:
A. 
Treat all citizens with impartiality, fairness, and equality under the law.
B. 
Avoid both actual and potential conflicts between their private self-interest and the public interest.
[Ord. 105, 4/13/1976; as revised by Ord. 374, 1/10/1989]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
FINANCIAL INTEREST
Any interest which shall yield, directly or indirectly, a monetary or other material benefit to the official or employee or to any person employing or retaining the services of the official or employee. "Financial interest" shall not include cases where the official or employee is a party to or is associated with a party to a transaction with the Township when such official or employee has no possible influence in the transaction.
OFFICIAL OR EMPLOYEE
Any person elected or appointed to, or employed or retained by, any public office or public body of the Township, whether paid or unpaid and whether part-time or full-time.
PARTY
A person, firm, corporation, or other entity participating in and intending to participate in any transaction with the Township in any manner which would give the person, firm, corporation, or entity a personal or financial interest in the transaction.
PERSONAL INTEREST
Any interest arising from blood or marriage relationships or from close business associations, whether or not any financial interest is involved.
PUBLIC BODY
Any agent, board, body, commission, committee, department, or office of the Township.
TRANSACTION
Includes, but is not limited to, any proceeding, application, submission, request for ruling or other determination, contract, lease, claim, case award, decision, judgment, or legislation, including ordinances and resolutions.
[Ord. 105, 4/13/1976; as revised by Ord. 374, 1/10/1989]
No official or employee shall grant or make available to any person any consideration, treatment, advantage or favor beyond that which is in the general practice to grant or make available to the public at large.
[Ord. 105, 4/13/1976; as revised by Ord. 374, 1/10/1989]
1. 
Financial or Personal Interest. No official or employee, either on his/her own behalf or for any other person, shall have any financial or personal interest in any transaction with any public body.
2. 
Disclosure and Disqualification. All officials and employees shall, upon taking office, file a financial disclosure statement of all areas of financial interest or personal interest as set forth by the Commonwealth State Ethics Act, Act 120 of 1978, as amended, or as may be amended from time to time. Whenever the performance of their official duties shall require any official or employee to deliberate and vote on any matter involving their financial or personal interest, they shall publicly disclose the nature and extent of such interest and disqualify themselves from participating in the deliberation as well as in the voting.
3. 
Incompatible Employment. No official or employee shall engage in private employment with or render service for any party in connection with any transaction with any public body. Except where authorized by law, no official or employee shall hold any other position as an official or employee during the term for which they were elected or appointed to their present office, and no former official or employee shall hold any appointive compensated position as an official or employee until one year after the expiration of the term for which they were elected or appointed. No official or employee shall be prohibited, under this subsection, from serving on any public body or on any intergovernmental agency or council of government which would be in furtherance of their duties and responsibilities as an official or employee, but no additional pay shall be received for any such services. This subsection shall not prohibit the Township Manager from serving as the Township Secretary or Treasurer simultaneously.
4. 
Representation of any Party. No official or employee shall appear on behalf of any private person, other than themselves, before any public body, except by issuance of a subpoena issued by a court having jurisdiction over the subject matter at issue.
5. 
Gifts and Favors. No official or employee shall accept any gift, whether in the form of money, thing, favor, loan, or promise, that would not be offered or given to them if they were not an official or employee, except that food or drink consumable at one meal shall not be considered a gift or favor.
6. 
Confidential Information. No official or employee shall use or permit the use of any confidential information acquired by them through their position as an official or employee to advance the financial or personal interest of themselves or any other person or entity.
7. 
Service as Attorney. No official or employee shall serve as attorney for a public body during the period that they serve as an official or employee and for one year thereafter. This shall not prohibit the Township Attorney from serving any public body in the Township where he/she is the attorney.
8. 
Township Attorney. The Township Attorney or his/her firm shall not be permitted to serve a party in any matter in which the Township is an adverse party. The Township Attorney shall guard against conflicts of interest and shall promptly inform the Board of Supervisors of any potential conflict of interest which he/she may have in any particular matter.
9. 
Purchases or Sales by Officials or Employees. No official or employee shall be a purchaser in any sale involving the Township, except by sealed or competitive bid, nor shall an official or employee be a vendor, directly or indirectly, of any item purchased by them in their official capacity, including a purchase or sale by a parent, spouse, child, brother, sister, or like relative-in-law or by any person, firm, partnership, corporation, business association, trustee or straw party for or on behalf of such official or employee in compliance with § 8.06 of the Home Rule Charter.
10. 
Independence of Judgment. No official shall accept other employment or receive any compensation or make any investments that would impair their independence of judgment in the performance of their duties as an official or employee.
[Ord. 105, 4/13/1976; as revised by Ord. 374, 1/10/1989]
Every transaction made in violation of the provisions of this chapter may be voided at the insistence of any party to the transaction, except the official or employee interested therein, upon written election thereof delivered to the Township Manager before the transaction is completed or within 90 days after completion. No such transaction may be voided because of the interest of an official or employee unless such transaction is made in the official capacity of such official or employee, by a public body of which they are an official or employee or on the recommendation of a public body of which they are an official or employee.
[Ord. 105, 4/13/1976; as revised by Ord. 374, 1/10/1989]
Subject to due process of law, any official or employee who violates any provision of this chapter may be disqualified from being an appointed official or employee in the Township for four years after the date of the transaction in which the violation occurs. If the violation occurs while he/she is serving as an appointed official, he/she may be removed from his/her position as an appointed official by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors subject to procedural and substantive procedure of law. If the violation occurs while he/she is serving as an employee, he/she may be removed from his/her position as an employee by the Township Manager, all in accordance with the statutes of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
[Ord. 105, 4/13/1976; as revised by Ord. 374, 1/10/1989]
1. 
As required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Ethics Act, Act 170 of 1978, a statement of financial interest shall be filed in accordance with the statute.
2. 
The Township Manager shall maintain a file of all disclosure statements, which shall be available for public inspection at reasonable times in the Township office. The Manager shall also maintain a register, also available for public inspection, of the name and address of each person requesting inspection and the date the inspection was made.
3. 
The Township Manager shall distribute standard forms for the financial disclosure statement. No disclosure statements shall indicate dollar or other value of an interest. The financial disclosure statement shall be the standard form used by the State Ethics Commission.