Ethics Tenet 3
Be dedicated to the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public and personal relationships in order that the member may merit the respect and confidence of the elected officials, of other officials and employees, and of the public.
Guidelines:
Public Confidence: Members should conduct themselves so as to maintain public confidence in their profession, their local government, and in their performance of the public trust.
Impression of Influence. Members should conduct their official and personal affairs in such a manner as to give the clear impression that they cannot be improperly influenced in the performance of their official duties.
Appointment Commitment. Members who accept an appointment to a position should not fail to report for that position. This does not preclude the possibility of a member considering several positions at the same time, but once a bona fide offer of a position has been accepted, that commitment should be honored. Oral acceptance of an employment offer is considered binding unless the employer makes fundamental changes in terms of employment.
Credentials. An application for employment should be complete and accurate as to all pertinent details of education, experience, and personal history. Members should recognize that both omissions and inaccuracies must be avoided.
Professional Respect. Members seeking a management position should show professional respect for persons formerly holding the position or for the others who might be applying for the same position. Professional respect does not preclude honest differences of opinion; it does preclude attacking a person’s motives or integrity in order to be appointed to a position.
Confidentiality. Members should not discuss or divulge information with anyone about pending or completed ethics cases, except as specifically authorized by the Rules of Procedure for enforcement of the Code of Ethics.
Seeking Employment. Members should not seek employment in a community having an incumbent administrator who has not resigned or been officially informed that his or her services are to be terminated.
Case Study – Public Confidence
A City Manager has been serving for a number of years within a City. He recently bought a share of a towing business that operates within the County but not within the City he is managing. He and his partners have decided to expand their business and are considering that expansion within the City he manages. The Police Department has a rotating system to make calls for roadside assistance. The City Manager and partners have decided to submit the information needed to be placed on the City rotation list. Since the service selected is by rotation, and the City Manager’s Office does not get involved with determining who is on the rotation list, it would be OK to have his company involved as long as he has a known, hands-off position regarding the rotation list. In addition, the manager is not involved in arbitrating issues between the towing firm and situations in which, for example, a disgruntled citizen was towed.
