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 himself in a
manner that will tend to preserve public confidence in, and respect
for, the government he represents. 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.
Except in the performance of his official duties,
no elected or appointed official of the Township or employee thereof
shall represent or appear on behalf of any other person before any
citizens' group or any department or office of the Township, nor shall
such official or employee, other than a member of the Board, so appear
before the Board or any of its committees.
B.
Financial interests; disclosure.
(1)
Any elected or appointed official or employee of the
Township, and any member or employee of a citizens' group, who has
a direct or indirect financial interest in any matter requiring decision
by any of the foregoing, whether that interest be as an employee,
a principal, a partner, a stockholder (except where such interest
is in the nature of minimal stock holding in a public corporation),
or otherwise, shall not participate in nor directly or indirectly
seek to influence the making of such decision.
(2)
Whenever the Manager or any member of the Board is aware that he has such an interest, he shall disclose that fact at the Board meeting next following his becoming aware of it. In no event shall the Township enter into any contract with any Board member, the Manager or any entity in which either has a direct or indirect financial interest as described above, if such contract is of the nature described in § C1207C(5) or C1207C(6) of the Charter or, in the case of the Manager only, as described in § C1207C(2) of the Charter.
C.
No elected or appointed official of the Township,
or employee thereof, shall directly or indirectly accept any gift,
favor, service or other consideration, from any person with whom he
deals or expects to deal in his official capacity, except that food
or drink consumed at one meal shall not be considered a gift or favor.
No elected or appointed official of the Township
or employee thereof shall willfully or knowingly disclose to any person
for direct or indirect pecuniary gain any confidential information
acquired by him in the course of his official duties, nor shall he
use any such information for the purpose of direct or indirect individual
pecuniary gain.
Willful violation of any of the provisions of
the Code of Ethics shall constitute a summary offense, punishable
upon conviction by a maximum fine of $600. Conviction thereunder,
when final, or a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to such violation
shall subject such person to surcharge to the extent of the damage
shown to be thereby sustained by the Township and shall result in
forfeiture of office.
