[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Skaneateles 8-24-1970
by L.L. No. 1-1970. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Pursuant to the provisions of § 806 of the General Municipal
Law, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Skaneateles recognizes that there
are rules of ethical conduct for public officers and employees which must
be observed if a high degree of moral conduct is to be obtained and if public
confidence is to be maintained in our unit of local government. It is the
purpose of this chapter to promulgate these rules of ethical conduct for the
officers and employees of the Village of Skaneateles. The rules of ethical
conduct of this chapter, as adopted, shall not conflict with but shall be
in addition to any prohibition of Article 18 of the General Municipal
Law or any other general or special law relating to ethical conduct and interest
in contracts of municipal officers and employees.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any claim, account or demand against or agreement with the Village
of Skaneateles, express or implied, and shall include the designation of a
depository of public funds and the designation of a newspaper, including but
not limited to an official newspaper, for the publication of any notice, resolution
or other proceeding where such publication is required or authorized by law.
A direct or indirect pecuniary or material benefit accruing to a
municipal officer or employee as the result of a contract with the Village
of Skaneateles. For the purposes of this chapter, a municipal officer or employee
shall be deemed to have an interest in the contract of his/her spouse, minor
children and dependents, except a contract of employment with the Village
of Skaneateles; a firm, partnership or association of which such officer or
employee is a member or employee; a corporation of which such officer or employee
is an officer, director or employee; and a corporation any stock of which
is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such officer or employee.
An officer or employee of the Village of Skaneateles, whether paid
or unpaid, including members of any administrative board, commission or other
agency thereof. No person shall be deemed to be a municipal officer or employee
solely by reason of being a volunteer fire fighter or civil defense volunteer,
except a fire chief or assistant fire chiefs.
Every officer or employee of the Village of Skaneateles shall be subject
to and abide by the following standards of conduct:
A.
Gifts. He shall not directly or indirectly solicit any
gift having a value of $75 or more, whether in the form of money, services,
loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise or any other form,
under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred that the gift
was intended to influence him or could reasonably be expected to influence
him in the performance of his official duties or was intended as a reward
for any official action on his part.[1]
B.
Confidential information. He shall not disclose confidential
information acquired by him in the course of his official duties or use such
information to further his personal interest.
C.
Representation before one's own agency. He shall not
receive or enter into any agreement, express or implied, for compensation
for services to be rendered in relation to any matter before any municipal
agency of which he is an officer, member or employee or of any municipal agency
over which he has jurisdiction or to which he has the power to appoint any
member, officer or employee.
D.
Representation before any agency for a contingent fee.
He shall not receive or enter into any agreement, express or implied, for
compensation for services to be rendered in relation to any matter before
any agency of his municipality, whereby his compensation is to be dependent
or contingent upon any action by such agency with respect to such matter,
provided that this subsection shall not prohibit the fixing at any time of
fees based up the reasonable value of the services rendered.
E.
Disclosure of interest in legislation. To the extent
that he knows thereof, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Village of
Skaneateles and any officer or employee of the Village of Skaneateles, whether
paid or unpaid, who participates in the discussion or gives official opinion
to the Board of Trustees of the Village of Skaneateles on any legislation
before the Board of Trustees of the Village of Skaneateles shall publicly
disclose on the official record the nature and extent of any direct or indirect
financial or other private interest he has in such legislation.
F.
Investments in conflict with official duties. He shall
not invest or hold any investment directly or indirectly in any financial,
business, commercial or other private transaction which creates a conflict
with his official duties.
G.
Private employment. He shall not engage in, solicit,
negotiate for or promise to accept private employment or render services for
private interests when such employment or service creates a conflict with
or impairs the proper discharge of his official duties.
H.
Future employment. He shall not, after the termination
of service or employment with such municipality, appear before any board or
agency of the Village of Skaneateles in relation to any case, proceeding or
application in which he personally participated during the period of his services
or employment or which was under his active consideration.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to bar or prevent the timely filing by
a present or former municipal officer or employee of any claim, account, demand
or suit against the Village of Skaneateles, or any agency thereof, on behalf
of himself or any member of his family arising out of any personal injury
or property damage or for any lawful benefit authorized or permitted by law.
The Mayor of the Village of Skaneateles shall cause a copy of this Code
of Ethics to be distributed to every officer and employee of the Village within
10 days after the effective date of this chapter. Each officer and employee
elected or appointed thereafter shall be furnished a copy before entering
upon the duties of his office or employment. Failure to distribute any such
copy or failure of any officer or employee to receive such copy shall have
no effect on the duty of compliance with such code, nor the enforcement of
provisions thereof.
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision of law,
any person who shall knowingly and intentionally violate any of the provisions
of this code may be fined, suspended or removed from office or employment,
as the case may be, in the manner provided by law.
