[Ord. No. 2417, 9/17/2018]
1. 
No Township employee, elected official or appointed official of the Township shall:
A. 
Engage, directly or indirectly, in any business transaction or private arrangement for profit which accrues from or is based upon his or her Township position or authority.
B. 
Participate in the influencing, negotiation of or decision to award contracts, the settlement of any claims or charges in any contracts, the making of loans, the granting of subsidies, the fixing of rates, or the issuance of permits, licenses, grants certificates, guarantees or other things of value to, with or for any entity in which he or she has a financial or personal interest.
C. 
Represent or act as agent for any private interest, whether for compensation or not, in any transaction in which the Township has a direct and substantial interest and which could be reasonably expected to result in a conflict between a private interest of the employee, elected official, or appointed official in their official Township responsibilities.
2. 
No current or former Township employee, elected official or appointed official, immediate family member, or a business with which the Township employee, elected official, appointed official or immediate family member of the same is associated shall:
A. 
Represent any person in exchange for monetary or in-kind compensation on any matter pending before the Township, the Board of Commissioners or any Township Board or Commission.
B. 
Enter into or continue any contract with the Township.
C. 
Provide goods, materials or services to the Township in exchange for monetary or in-kind compensation.
3. 
The restricted activities set forth in § 1-1101, Subsection 2, shall apply for a two-year period from the last day of employment or the last day served by the elected or appointed official.
[Ord. No. 2417, 9/17/2018]
1. 
No Township employee, appointed official or elected official may solicit or accept for personal use, or the use of another person, a gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, hospitality, loan or any other thing of monetary value, including in-kind gifts, which exceeds de minimis value from a person who:
A. 
Is seeking to obtain business from or has financial relations with the Township;
B. 
Conducts operations or activities that are regulated by the Township;
C. 
Is engaged, either as principal or attorney, in proceedings before the Township or in court proceedings in which the Township is an adverse party; or
D. 
Has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the official duty of the employee, appointed official or elected official.
2. 
The only exceptions are limited to the following instances:
A. 
The solicitation or acceptance of something of monetary value from a friend, parent, spouse, child or other close relative under circumstances which make it clear that the gift is motivated by a family relationship or personal friendship rather than the position of the employee. Relevant factors in making such a determination include the history of the relationship (For example, does the friendship pre-date employment by the Township?) and whether the family member or friend pays for the gift.
B. 
The acceptance of loans from banks or other financial institutions on customary terms of finance for proper and usual activities, such as home mortgage loans.
C. 
Participation in widely attended gatherings free of charge is permissible when officials have been invited and are acting in furtherance of their official duties.
3. 
Nothing in this section shall prohibit or otherwise limit the Township from accepting donations or sponsorships for community or public events.
[Ord. No. 2417, 9/17/2018]
1. 
No Township employee, appointed official or elected official may, for his or her own personal gain or for the gain of others, use any information obtained as a result of service or employment with the Township and not available to the public at large or divulge such information in advance of the time prescribed for its authorized release.
2. 
No Township employee, appointed official or elected official may use any Township equipment, supplies or properties for his or her own private gain or for other than officially designated purposes.
[Ord. No. 2417, 9/17/2018]
1. 
No Township employee shall engage in or accept private employment or render services for a private interest unless such employment or service is approved in advance by the Township Manager.
2. 
This section shall not prohibit appointed officials appointed to serve part-time on boards and commissions from pursuing their usual occupation; however, they will not conduct themselves in a manner inconsistent with the impartial administration of their official duties.
3. 
No Township employee, appointed official or elected official shall accept honoraria, speaking fees, or any other valuable consideration, nor shall any Township employee, appointed official or elected official receive compensation for consultation which draws upon ideas or data derived from his or her official duties. However, Township employees, appointed officials or elected officials may designate nonprofit, charitable organizations to be recipients of honoraria or speaking fees offered by groups which customarily offer such honoraria to guest speakers.
[Ord. No. 2417, 9/17/2018]
1. 
No Township employee, elected official, or appointed official shall, in any manner, coerce any other person in Township service or employ to contribute time, money or services to a political candidate or campaign.
2. 
No Township employee shall engage in any political activity such as campaigning, fund-raising, canvassing or poll-watching during his or her specified working hours.
[Ord. No. 2417, 9/17/2018]
1. 
The following words and phrases shall have the meaning specified for the purposes of Chapter 1, Part 11, of the Ross Township Code of Ordinances:
APPOINTED OFFICIAL
Any person appointed by the Board of Commissioners to any board or commission of the Township and any person or entity deputized by the Tax Collector.
BUSINESS
Any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, firm, enterprise, franchise, association, organization, self-employed individual, holding company, joint stock company, receivership, trust or any legal entity organized for profit.
BUSINESS TRANSACTION
An activity or event that can be measured in terms of money or which affects the financial position or operations of the business entity.
BUSINESS WITH WHICH HE OR SHE IS ASSOCIATED
Any business in which the person or a member of the person's immediate family is a director, officer, owner, or employee or has a financial interest.
CONTRACT
An agreement or arrangement for the acquisition, use or disposal by the Township of consulting or other services or of supplies, materials, equipment, land or other personal or real property. The term shall not mean an agreement or arrangement between the Township as one party and a public official or public employee as the other party concerning his or her expense, reimbursement, salary, wage, retirement or other benefit, tenure or other matters in consideration of his or her current public employment with the Township.
DE MINIMIS VALUE
Shall mean, for each employee, a pecuniary or in-kind benefit valued at $500 or less per calendar year for each entity regulated by § 1-1102 of this Part, and shall mean, for each elected and appointed official, a pecuniary or in-kind benefit valued at $25 per entity regulated by § 1-1102 of this Part with a cumulative total not to exceed $500 per calendar year.
ELECTED OFFICIAL
Any person elected by the public, and shall include, but not be limited to, Township Commissioners and Tax Collector.
EMPLOYEE
Any person employed on a full-time, part-time or seasonal basis by the Township and not subject to a collective bargaining agreement.
FINANCIAL INTEREST
Any financial interest in a legal entity engaged in business for profit which comprises more than 5% of the equity of the business or more than 5% of the assets of the economic interest in indebtedness.
GIFT
Anything which is received without consideration of equal or greater value.
HONORARIA
Payment made in recognition of published works, appearances, speeches and presentations and which is not intended as consideration for the value of such services which are nonpublic, occupational or professional in nature. The term does not include tokens presented or provided which are of de minimis value.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER
Spouse, ex-spouse, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, daughters-in-law, and sons-in-law. Adopted, half and step members are also included in "immediate family member."
TAX COLLECTOR
The person elected by the public or appointed by the Board of Commissioners to collect real estate taxes in the Township.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Ross.
[Ord. No. 2417, 9/17/2018]
1. 
Penalties for Employees. Employees who refuse or fail to comply with §§ 1-1101 through 1-1105 shall be subjected to disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, reprimands, suspensions, and termination.
2. 
Penalties for Elected or Appointed Officials. Any person who violates any provision of §§ 1-1101 through 1-1105 commits a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 or to imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
3. 
Treble Damages. Any person who receives financial gain by violating any provision of this Part, in addition to any other penalty provided by law, shall pay a sum of money equal to three times the amount of the financial gain resulting from such violation into the state treasury or in the treasury of the Township.
4. 
Impeachment and Disciplinary Action. The penalties prescribed in this Part do not limit the power of either house of the Legislature to discipline or impeach an elected or appointed official and do not limit the power of the Township to discipline employees or elected or appointed officials.
[Ord. No. 2417, 9/17/2018]
1. 
This Part shall take effect 30 days following its enactment by the Ross Township Board of Commissioners.
2. 
This Part shall be applied prospectively and shall not be interpreted to make conduct that occurred prior to the enactment of the Part a violation thereof.