[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Cedarburg 1-2-1991
as Title 2, Ch. 6 of the 1991 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meaning
indicated:
Any person excluded from the definition of a public officer who is
employed by the Town.
Those persons serving in statutory elected or appointed offices provided
for in Ch. 60, Wis. Stats., and all members appointed to boards, committees
and commissions established or appointed by the Town Chairperson and/or Town
Board, whether paid or unpaid.
It is declared that high ethical standards among Town 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 Town in their public
officers and employees. The purpose of this chapter is to establish guidelines
for ethical standards of conduct for all such Town 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 Town 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.Â
Use of public property. No public officer or employee
shall use or permit the use of Town vehicles, equipment, materials or property
for personal convenience or profit, except when such services are available
to the public generally or are provided as Town policy for the use of such
officer or employee in the conduct of official business, as authorized by
the Town Board or authorized board, commission or committee.
B.Â
Conflicts of interest; disclosure of interest. Except
as provided herein, no public officer or public employee shall engage in any
business transaction with the Town, 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 Town, or 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 Town 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.Â
Representing private interests before the Town Board
or Town agencies. No public officer or employee, including persons or firms
engaged to provide professional services to the Town, shall represent, for
compensation, private interests before the Town Board or any Town board, commission
or committee without disclosure of the private business relationship and explicit
consent of the Town Board.
D.Â
Disclosure of confidential information. No public officer
or employee shall, without proper authorization of the Town Board, disclose
confidential information concerning the property, government or affairs of
the Town, nor shall he use such information to advance the financial or other
private interest of himself or others.
E.Â
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 Town, 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 $10 in value.
F.Â
Outside employment. No full-time employee of the Town
shall engage in any other remunerative employment within or without the Town,
provided that the Town Board may approve such outside employment or activity
if it finds that it does not interfere or conflict with such ability of the
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 Town Attorney for an advisory opinion.
