All records, accounts and any written information of the City shall be open to inspection by the public as prescribed by governing State law.
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 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 Commission.
(A.)
Activities Prohibited:
(1.)
No person shall be appointed to or removed from, or in any way favored or discriminated against with respect to any City position or appointive City administrative office because of race, sex, political or religious opinions or affiliations.
(2.)
No person shall willfully make any false statement, certificate, mark, rating or report in regard to any test, certification or appointment under the personnel provisions of this Charter or the rules and regulations made there or under [thereunder], or in any manner commit or attempt to commit any fraud preventing the impartial execution or [of] such provisions, rules and regulations.
(3.)
No person who seeks appointment or promotion with respect to any City position or appointive City administrative office shall directly or indirectly give, render or pay any money, service or other valuable thing to any person for or in connection with his test, appointment, promotion or proposed promotion.
(4.)
No person who is employed and compensated by the City shall make, solicit, or receive any contribution to the campaign funds of any political party or any candidate for elected office or any political purpose, while performing his or her City functions or while in City uniform. During the time when said person is neither performing City function nor in City uniform, said person may exercise his rights as a citizen in accordance with governing law.
(5.)
No City elected or appointed official, or member of the City Planning Commission or the Board of Equalization or any other board or committee, or person who holds any compensated appointive City position shall willfully and with intent violate any of the provisions of this Charter.
(B.)
Penalties: Any person who by himself or with others willfully violates any of the provisions of paragraphs (1) through (5) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars ($200.00). Any person convicted under this section shall be ineligible for a period of five years thereafter to hold any City office or position and, if an officer or employee of the City, shall immediately forfeit his office or position. If any person who is found guilty of violating any prohibited activities of this section and if said activities are also prohibited by any laws or ordinances on record at the time of conviction, the said person may be punished to the fullest extent of the penalties defined in this section or to the fullest extent of the penalties defined by said law or ordinances or both.
Amendments to this Charter shall be framed and proposed in the manner provided by governing State law. If a petition proposing an amendment is presented by qualified voters of the City, said petition shall be governed in addition to governing laws by the same procedures and requirements prescribed in Article XI for initiative petitions until such time as a final determination as to the sufficiency of the petitions is made, except that there shall be no limitation as to subject matter and where said Article and this Charter specifically conflict with governing State law, then State [law] shall rule.
After adoption of an amendment, such amendment shall be included in the proper section of the main body of this Charter and shall be stated in Article XIV followed with the date of adoption by voters. If said amendment revised or voided any sentencing, said revised or voided sentencing shall be deleted from the main body of the Charter and stated in Article XIV following said amendment.
If any section or part of section of this Charter shall be held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the remainder of this Charter nor the context in which such section or part of the section so held invalid may appear, except to the extent that an entire section or part of section may be inseparably connected in meaning and effect with the section or part of section to which such holding shall directly apply.
The City Commission shall within a two-year period after adoption appoint by ordinance a Charter Review Commission of thirteen (13) persons to investigate workability of this Charter and make recommendations for implementation or amendment.