The purpose of this Code of Ethics is to enable public officials and
employees, both appointive and elective, to conduct themselves in a manner
that shall preserve public confidence in and respect for the government of
the Town and to treat all citizens with courtesy, impartiality, fairness and
equality under the law.
The terms of this code are defined as follows:
FINANCIAL INTEREST
Any money or property, favor, service, payment, advance, forbearance,
loan, or promise of future employment, but does not include compensation and
expenses paid by the state, fees and expenses which are permitted and reported
under Wis. Stats. § 19.56, political contributions which are reported
under Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 11, or hospitality extended for a purpose
unrelated to state business by a person other than an organization.
[Amended 1-18-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-02]
OFFICIAL OR EMPLOYEE
Any person elected or appointed to, or employed or retained by, any
public office or public body of the Town, whether paid or unpaid and whether
part-time or full-time.
PERSONAL INTEREST
Any interest arising from an individual's spouse or an individual's
relative by marriage, lineal descent or adoption who receives, directly or
indirectly, more than one-half of his or her support from the individual or
from whom the individual receives, directly or indirectly, more than one-half
of his or her support or from close business or political association, whether
or not any financial interest is involved.
PUBLIC BODY
Any agency, board, body, commission, committee, department or office
of the Town.
[Amended 4-19-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-010]
A. Requests for advisory opinion. An advisory opinion may
be requested by the individual or, in the case of an individual under consideration
for appointment as a Town official or employee, by the appointing officer
or authority with the consent of the prospective appointee. Town officials
and employees shall be afforded an opportunity to present facts at issue in
the interpretation and administration of the Code of Ethics established by
provisions in this chapter before an advisory opinion is issued. Requests
for advisory opinions shall be made in writing.
B. Confidentiality of advisory opinions and proceedings. The Town
Attorney shall issue written advisory opinions within 30 days of receiving
any facts relevant to the issue. The written opinion shall be kept confidential
unless all parties, including the requester, the subject and the Town Attorney,
consent in writing to the opinion being made public.
[Amended 4-19-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-010]
Records of the Town Attorney's opinions, opinion requests and investigations
of violations of this chapter may be closed in whole or in part to public
inspection.
No appointing authority, agent of an appointing authority or supervisor
may initiate or administer, or threaten to initiate or administer, any retaliatory
action against a Town employee following an employee's disclosure of
information related to the violation of any federal or state law, Town ordinance,
rule or regulation, the mismanagement or abuse of authority, a substantial
waste of public funds or a danger to public health and safety. Nothing in
this section restricts the right of the Town as an employer to take appropriate
disciplinary action against an employee who knowingly makes an untrue statement
or discloses information the disclosure of which is specifically prohibited
by federal or state law, rule or regulation.