The Code of Ethics is intended to provide ethical guidelines for City Councilors, employees and Council appointed Board and Commission members that are responsive to the public needs and preclude even the appearance of impropriety in the performance of their duties. All City Councilors, employees and Council appointed Board and Commission members have an obligation to conduct their official duties in a manner that serves the public interest, upholds the public trust and protects the City’s resources. To this end, City Councilors, employees and Council appointed Board and Commission members have a responsibility to:
- Perform their duties to the very best of their abilities, treating the public and each other in a courteous manner that is fair and equitable, without regard to race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, disability, political affiliation, or any other factor unrelated to the impartial conduct of City business;
- Demonstrate integrity, honesty, and ethical behavior in the conduct of all City business;
- Ensure that their personal interests do not come into conflict with their official duties, resulting in a real conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest when dealing with vendors, customers, and other individuals doing business or seeking to do business with the City;
- Ensure that they do not accept any gift, favor or thing of value that may tend to, or be reasonably perceived to, influence the discharge of their duties, or grant any improper favor, service or thing of value in the discharge of their duties. This shall include the acceptance of a gift from a person who has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance of the employee’s official duties under circumstances where timing and nature of the gift would cause a reasonable person to question the employee’s impartiality in the matter affecting the donor. This prohibition shall not apply to the acceptance of any gift, favor or thing of value that benefits the City and/or the community as a whole;
- Ensure that information concerning the property, government or affairs of the City is held confidential, disclosed only with proper legal authorization, and never to advance the financial or other special interest of themselves or others;
- Ensure that all City resources, including City funds, equipment, vehicles and other property, are used in strict compliance with City policies and solely for the benefit of the City;
- Avoid any behavior that could fall under the definitions of misconduct in the City’s “Professional Conduct Policy,” within the City’s Comprehensive Employee Management System.
Councilors, Board and Commission members, Department Heads, and supervisors must take a leadership role in the promotion and execution of the Code of Ethics. All City officials and employees have a responsibility to place cooperation, trust, and respect at the head of all they do.