[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of Belgium
11-21-1991 by Ord. No. 16-91 as Title 2, Ch. 5, of the 1991 Code. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any person excluded from the definition of "public officer" who is
employed by the Village.
Those persons serving in statutory elected or appointed offices provided
for in Ch. 61, Wis. Stats., and all members appointed to boards, committees
and commissions established or appointed by the Village President and/or Village
Board, whether paid or unpaid.
It is declared that high ethical standards among Village officers and
employees are essential to the conduct of good representative government and
that a code of ethics for the guidance of public officers and employees will
help them avoid conflicts with improved standards of public service and will
promote and strengthen the confidence of the residents of the Village in their
public officers and employees. The purpose of this chapter is to establish
guidelines for ethical standards of conduct for all such Village officers
and employees by setting forth those acts or actions that are incompatible
with the public interest and which compromise, or appear to compromise, public
trust in the fairness, independence and integrity of Village officers and
employees and their official actions.
The provisions of the following sections of the Wisconsin Statutes,
as from time to time amended, are made a part of this chapter and shall apply
to all public officers and public employees whenever applicable:
A.
Use of public property. No public officer or employee
shall use or permit the use of Village vehicles, equipment, materials or property
for personal convenience or profit, except when such services are available
to the public generally or are provided as Village policy for the use of such
officer or employee in the conduct of official business, as authorized by
the Village Board or authorized board, commission or committee.
B.
Conflicts of interest; disclosure of interest. Except
as provided herein, no public officer or public employee shall engage in any
business transaction with the Village or have a financial or other personal
interest, direct or indirect, which is incompatible with the proper discharge
of his official duties or will tend to impair his independence of judgment
or action in the performance of his official duties. Any public officer or
employee who has a substantial financial interest, including employment, in
any business entity entering into, proposing to enter into or bidding on any
transaction with the Village, or who as part of his official duties will be
making an official decision or recommendation significantly affecting a business
competitor, client or regular customer, shall disclose such interest to the
membership of the Village Board (or committee, board or commission thereof,
as appropriate), to be recorded in the minutes of that body. Upon such disclosure,
it is advised that the public officer or employee abstain from voting on the
matter and from participating in the discussion of the matter.
C.
Representing private interests before the Village Board
or Village agencies. No public officer or employee, including persons or firms
engaged to provide professional services to the Village, shall represent,
for compensation, private interests before the Village Board or any Village
board, commission or committee without disclosure of the private business
relationship and explicit consent of the Village Board.
D.
Disclosure of confidential information. No public officer
or employee shall, without proper authorization of the Village Board, disclose
confidential information concerning the property, government or affairs of
the Village, nor shall he use such information to advance the financial or
other private interest of himself or others.
E.
Gifts and favors. No public officer or employee shall
accept anything of value, whether in the form of a gift, service, loan or
promise, from any person who, to his knowledge, has a direct financial interest
in any transaction or official business with the Village, which may tend to
impair his independence of judgment or action in the performance of his official
duties. However, it is not a conflict of interest for any public officer or
employee to receive a gift or gratuity that is an unsolicited item of nominal
intrinsic value, such as a meal up to $25 in value.
F.
Outside employment. No full-time officer of the Village
shall engage in any other remunerative employment within or without the Village,
provided that the Village Board may approve such outside employment or activity
if it finds that it does not interfere or conflict with such ability of the
officer or employee to perform his duties in an efficient and unbiased manner.
Any questions as to the interpretation of any provisions of this chapter
shall be referred to the Village Attorney for an advisory opinion.