The Town Board of the Town of Brant recognizes that there are state
statutory provisions authorizing towns to establish rules and standards of
ethical conduct for public officers and employees which, if observed, can
enhance public confidence in local government. In the light of a tendency
today on the part of some people to downgrade our local governments and to
discredit our public servants and our free institutions generally, it appears
necessary that every effort be made to assure the highest caliber of public
administration of this town as part of our state's important system of
local government. It is the purpose of this chapter to implement this objective
through the establishment of standards of conduct, to provide for punishment
of violations of such standards and to create a Board of Ethics to render
advisory opinions to the town's officers and employees as provided for
herein.
The standards, prohibited acts and procedures established herein are
in addition to any prohibited acts, conflicts of interest, provisions or procedures
prescribed by statute of the State of New York and also in addition to common
law rules and judicial decisions relating to the conduct of town officers
to the extent that the same are more severe in their application than this
chapter.
