The purpose of this chapter is to comply with Article 40A of
the Annotated Code of the State of Maryland and to provide for certain guidelines and criteria for
standards of conduct for those persons to which this chapter is applicable.
The provisions of this chapter, unless otherwise herein provided,
shall be applicable to all officials, employees, and members of boards
and commissions of the Town of Hancock, Maryland, including, but not
limited to, the following where such offices are applicable and exist:
A. Members of the Mayor and Council.
F. All heads of department of the Town by whatever title they are known.
G. Members of all boards, commissions and committees appointed by the
Mayor and Council.
H. Members of all boards, commissions and committees appointed by the
Governor of the State of Maryland where such boards, commissions and
committees are not declared by the State Ethics Commission not to
be executive agencies in the state government.
Town officials and employees who are subject to this chapter
shall not:
A. Participate on behalf of the Town in any matter which would, to their
knowledge, have a direct financial impact, as distinguished from the
public generally, on them or their immediate family, including spouse,
children (dependent or otherwise), parents, brothers, sisters or in-laws,
or a business entity with which they are affiliated.
B. Hold or acquire an interest of either $10,000 or 5% or greater in a business entity that has or is negotiating a contract of $1,000 or more with the Town, or is regulated by their agency, except as exempted by the Commission where the interest is disclosed pursuant to §
33-7 of this chapter.
C. Be employed by a business entity that has or is negotiating a contract of more than $1,000 or more with the Town, or is regulated by its agency, except as exempted by the Commission pursuant to §
33-6 of this chapter.
D. Hold any outside employment relationship that would impair their
impartiality or independence of judgment.
E. Represent any party, for a contingent fee, before any Town body.
F. Within one year following termination of Town service, act as a compensated
representative of another in connection with any specific matter in
which he participated substantially as a Town official or employee.
G. Solicit any gift or accept gifts of greater than $25 in value from
any person that has or is negotiating a contract with the Town, or
is regulated by its agency, except when these gifts would not present
a conflict of interest as determined by the Commission. For the purposes
of this section, "gift" includes the transfer of anything of economic
value, regardless of form, without adequate and lawful consideration.
H. Use the prestige of their office for their own benefit or that of
another.
I. Use confidential information acquired in their official Town position
for their own benefit or that of another.
The Commission may grant exemptions and modifications to the provisions of §§
33-4 and
33-5 of this chapter if it determines that application of those provisions would:
A. Constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy.
B. Significantly reduce the availability of qualified persons for public
service.
C. Not be required to preserve the purposes of this chapter.