Elected officials shall have such qualifications and shall be nominated and elected as required by the Charter at a general election or as otherwise provided by law. Said officials shall have the same benefits provided to the full time, nonunion, unclassified employees of the County.
No elected or appointed County officer shall hold or retain any other incompatible office. Any person accepting an incompatible office shall be deemed thereby to have vacated any office previously held by him/her under the County government. For the purpose of this code it shall not be deemed incompatible for a person to serve as the head of two or more departments, as head of a division within his/her department or to serve as the head of two or more divisions within a department.
Unless otherwise provided in the Charter or code, in the event of the temporary absence or disability of any appointive officer or employee, or in the event of a vacancy in any appointive office, the County Executive may designate a qualified County employee to serve in such office temporarily in an acting capacity. Any such appointee shall have all the functions, powers and duties of an incumbent until such absence or disability terminates or such vacancy is filled by permanent appointment.
A. 
Every officer or employee of the County who is entrusted with the receipt, custody or expenditure of public moneys or funds and any other officer or employee who may be required to do so by the Board shall, before entering upon the duties of his/her office or position, execute and deliver to the Clerk of the Board a surety bond, in such amount as may be fixed by resolution of the Board, binding him/her to the County in its corporate name and conditioned upon the true and faithful performance of his/her duty. Each officer or employee required by law to give bond shall execute such a bond with sufficient surety and deliver the same to the Clerk of the Board. The Clerk shall deliver copies of all bonds received by him/her and the original bond required of him/her to the County Executive, or his/her designee, before the officer or employee enters upon the discharge of his/her duties of his/her office or employment.
B. 
If any officer or employee shall neglect to execute and deliver his/her bond as herein required within 30 days after due notification of his/her obligation to do so, his/her office may be declared vacant by the County Executive.
C. 
In every case in which any person is required by the Charter, code, laws of the state or by any ordinance or resolution to give bond for the faithful performance of his/her duties, such bond shall be secured by a corporate surety authorized to do business in this state and the premium therefor shall be paid by the County. Each such bond shall be approved by the County Counsel as to legal form and sufficiency. Nothing in this code shall be construed to prevent the use of one or more blanket bonds when so approved.
A. 
No officer or employee under the County government shall have any interest, direct or indirect, in any contract or transaction with the County, or with any agency or instrumentality therefor, whenever any such officer or employee, individually or as a member of a board or otherwise, may:
(1) 
Prepare, authorize or approve the contract or transaction or authorize or approve payment or collection thereunder.
(2) 
Supervise the work, goods or services to be delivered or performed.
(3) 
Audit, pay or collect bills or claims under the contract or in connection with the transaction.
(4) 
Appoint or supervise an officer or employee, in connection with the contract or transaction, who has any of the powers or duties set forth in Subsection A(1), (2) or (3) above.
B. 
Any officer or employee, having a whole or partial control of a contract or transaction, who has, or will have acquired an interest, direct or indirect, in any actual or proposed contract or transaction with the County shall disclose the nature and extent of such interest by notifying, in writing, the County Executive as soon as he/she has knowledge of such actual, past or prospective interest. Such written disclosure shall be maintained by the County Executive as a public record. Any officer or employee may elect to periodically file a list of his/her investments, business interests and sources of income as full compliance with the requirements of this section.
C. 
Any contract with the County obtained, executed or performed in violation of this § 5-156 shall be voidable.
D. 
No officer or employee under the County government shall:
(1) 
Engage in any business or transaction or accept any private employment or commitment or have any financial or other personal interest, direct or indirect, which is incompatible with the proper discharge of his/her official duties in the public interest or which would tend to influence his/her independence of judgment or action in the performance of his/her official duties;
(2) 
Accept, solicit, offer or deliver anything of value as consideration for, or in connection with, the discharge of any official duty other than the fee or compensation prescribed pursuant to law; or
(3) 
Accept any gift or gratuity, whether in the form of service, loan or promise, or in any other form, from any person, firm or corporation which would tend to influence him/her in the discharge of his/her duties.
E. 
Any County officer or employee who willfully and knowingly violates any provisions of this section shall be subject to forfeiture of his/her office or employment or other disciplinary action.
The County shall function under the Code of Ethics and regulation thereof as provided by N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.1 et seq.
Subject to applicable civil service requirements:
A. 
Any officer or employee of the County who shall wilfully violate or evade any provision of law relating to the County or his/her office or employment; commit any fraud upon the County; convert any of the public property to his/her own use; knowingly permit any other person to do such things; or who shall by gross or culpable neglect of duty allow such things or occurrences, shall, in addition to the penalties imposed by law, forfeit his/her office or employment; and
B. 
Any officer or employee of the County who shall, after lawful notice or process, wilfully refuse or fail to appear before any court, judge, legislative committee, officer, board or body authorized to conduct any official hearing or inquiry; or any officer or employee of the County having appeared, who shall refuse to testify or to answer any question regarding the property, government or affairs of the County or regarding the nomination, election, appointment or official conduct of any officer or employee of the County, on the ground that his/her answer would tend to incriminate him/her; or any officer or employee of the County who shall refuse to waive immunity from prosecution on account of any such official hearing or inquiry, shall forfeit his/her office or employment.
Upon the termination of the term of office or the employment of any officer or employee, he/she shall forthwith deliver to his/her successor, or if there be no successor, to the County Executive, or his/her designee, all moneys, papers, books, memoranda, accounts, data or property of any nature whatever pertaining to his/her office or to the County.
A County officer or employee shall not:
A. 
Use his/her official authority or influence for the purpose of unlawful with or affecting the result of an election or a nomination for office; or
B. 
Directly or indirectly coerce, attempt to coerce, command or pressure a County officer or employee to pay, lend or contribute anything of value to a party, committee, organization, agency or person for political purposes.