Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 85-31 - Ethics (2)ORDINANCE NO. -31 ETHICS ORDINANCE AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, STATING THE PURPOSE AND TITLE OF THIS ORDINANCE; PROVIDING FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE WRITTEN TEXT OF CERTAIN STATUTES, INCLUDING THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE OPEN RECORDS ACT, AND THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATUTE TO CERTAIN CITY OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, ALL CITY DIVISION HEADS, CITY SECRETARY, MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE, CITY ATTORNEY, AND ALL MEMBERS OF SUCH COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS, AND BOARDS APPOINTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO PROVIDE FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY CITY OFFICIALS OF THEIR RECEIPT OF SUCH STATUTES, AS WELL AS THEIR WRITTEN PLEDGES TO ABIDE BY SUCH LAWS, PROVIDING FOR THE REQUIRED ATTENDANCE OF SUCH CITY OFFICIALS AT A SEMINAR CONDUCTED BY CITY ATTORNEY EXPLAINING SUCH STATUTES; PROVIDING FOR A FINE FOR VIOLATION THEREOF; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION OF THIS ORDINANCE; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS: ARTICLE I. PURPOSE WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City of Georgetown that City Officials shall act and conduct themselves, both inside and outside the City's service, so as to give no occasion for the distrust of their integrity, impartiality, or of their devotion to the best interests of the City of Georgetown and the public trust which they hold; and WHEREAS, because violations of statutes regarding open meetings, open records and conflict of interest statutes often occur due to the ignorance of such laws which apply to city officials; THEREFORE, the City Council HEREBY provides a miachanism whereby certain public officials will acknowledge the existence of the applicable statutes and will pledge to abide by the terms of this ordinance and the various statutes above indicated. ARTICLE II. TITLE This ordinance shall hereafter be called the Ethics Ordinance. ARTICLE III. DEFINITIONS For purposes of this Ethics Ordinance, the following definitions shall apply; City Official, shall include the Mayor, all City Council members, City Manager, Deputy City Manager, any City Division Head, City Secretary, Municipal Court Judge, City Attorney, and all members of such committees, commissions, and boards appointed by the City Council. Ethics Statutes, shall mean the Texas Open Records Act, (Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. art 6252-17A [Supp. 19851), the Texas Open Meetings Act, (Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. art. 6252-17 [Supp. 19851), and the Conflict of Interest Statute, (Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. art. 988b [Supp. 19851), as currently in effect, or as hereafter amended. ARTICLE IV. PROOF OF COMPLIANCE Prior to April 30th of each year, the City Secretary of the City of Georgetown, Texas shall make available to each City Official designated in this Ordinance a copy of the text of the Ethics Statutes. Each City Official shall file with the City Secretary a signed affidavit in which the City Official acknowledges the existence of the Ethics Statutes and pledges to abide by the terms of these Ethics Statutes as long as the City Official holds the City Official's office or position with the City of Georgetown, Texas. Tie sworn affidavits of all City Officials shall be placed on file for public inspection no later than May 5th of each year. G�orSCFa,n c1�rw Prior to April 30th of each year, the City Attorney shall conduct one or more seminars devoted to educating City Officials on the meaning and legal significance of the Ethics Statutes. Every City Official shall attend at least one such seminar within a year after assuming office and thereafter, shall attend at least one such seminar annually or be subject to the penalties set forth in this Ordinance. ARTICLE V. PENALTY provisionsoofbthis ordinanceoff shall be deemdesignated d a aeClassherein Misdemeanormore under the laws of the State of Texas. ARTICLE VI. PUBLICATION The City Secretary is hereby directed to publish this ordinance, or its caption and penalty, at least one time within TEN (10) days after final passage hereof or as soon thereafter as possible in a newspaper in the City of Georgetown, Texas. The City Secretary shall also receive from and file an affidavit of such publication by the publisher of such newspaper taken before any officer authorized to administer oaths as evidence of such publication. ARTICLE VII. SEVERABILITY If any article, paragraph or part of a paragraph of this this Ethics Ordinance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a Court of competent jurisdiction, the same shall not invalidate or impair the validity, force or effect of any other article, paragraph or part of a paragraph of this Ethics Ordinance. Read, passed and adopted this day of , 1985. Read, passed and adopted this 1day of R 1985, on the second reading. CITY SECRETARY AP ROVED AS FORM: UMP MP CITY ATTORNEY Gw�N -CAVL J. DOERING, MAY CITY OF GEORGETOWN ORDINANCE N0. - ETHICS ORDINANCE AN 'ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, STATING THE PURPOSE AND TITLE OF THIS ORDINANCE; PROVIDING FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE WRITTEN TEXT OF CERTAIN STATUTES, INCLUDING THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE OPEN RECORDS ACT, AND THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATUTE TO CERTAIN CITY OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, ALL CITY DIVISION HEADS, CITY SECRETARY, MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE, CITY ATTORNEY, AND ALL MEMBERS OF SUCH COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS, AND BOARDS APPOINTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO PROVIDE FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY CITY OFFICIALS OF THEIR RECEIPT OF SUCH STATUTES, AS WELL AS THEIR WRITTEN PLEDGES TO ABIDE BY SUCH LAWS, PROVIDING FOR THE REQUIRED ATTENDANCE OF SUCH CITY OFFICIALS AT A SEMINAR CONDUCTED BY CITY ATTORNEY EXPLAINING SUCH STATUTES; PROVIDING FOR A FINE FOR VIOLATION THEREOF; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION OF THIS ORDINANCE; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS: ARTICLE I. PURPOSE WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City of Georgetown that City Officials shall act and conduct themselves, both inside and outside the City's service, so as to give no occasion for the distrust of their integrity, impartiality, or of their .devotion to the best interests of the City of Georgetown and the public trust which they hold; and - WHEREAS, because violations of statutes regarding open meetings, open records and conflict of interest statutes often occur due to the ignorance of such laws which apply to city officials; THEREFORE, the City Council HEREBY provides a mechanism whereby certainu Officials will acknowledge the existence of the applicable statutes and will pledge to abide by the terms of this ordinance and the various statutes above indicated. ARTICLE II. TITLE This ordinance shall hereafter be called the Ethics Ordinance, ARTICLE III. DEFINITIONS For purposes of this Ethics Ordinance, the following definitions shall apply: Y City Official, shall include the Mayor, all City Council members, City Manager, Deputy City Manager, any City Division Head, City Secretary, Municipal Court Judge, City Attorney, and all members of such committees, commissions, and boards appointed by the City Council. Ethics Statutes, shall mean the Texas Open Records Act Stat. Ann. art 6252-17A [Supp. 19851), the Texas ,Open Meetings A(Tex. TRev. Civ. Civ. Stat. Ann. art. 6252-17 [Supp. 19851), and the ConflictofInteex.rrest Statute, (Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. art. 988b [Supp. 1985]), as currently in effect, or as hereafter amended. ARTICLE IV. PROOF OF COMPLIANCE Prior to April 30th of each year, the City Secretary of the City of Georgetown, Texas shall make available to each City Official designated in thisrdinance a COPY of the text of the Ethics Statutes. Each City Official shall file with the O City Secretary a signed affidavit in which the City Official acknowledges the existence of the Ethics Statutes and pledges to abide by the terms of these Etosition with the City hics Statutes as long as the City Official holds the City Official's office or Officials shall be Placed oon filegforwpublicinspection Texas. The sworn affidavits of all City each year. no later than May 5th of C9- Prior to April 30th of each year, the City Attorney shall conduct one or more seminars devoted to educatingCity EverycCityson the meaning and Official shall attend at least egal significance of the Ethics least therea one such seminar within a yminar annually o r be subject the penalties set shall attend at least one such se forth in this Ordinance. ARTICLE V. PENALTY ore of the A violation by any rdinancef shall l be deemicial as ed designated ass herein nof one or m city Misdemeanor the provisions of this o laws of the State of Texas. ARTICLE VI. PUBLICATION The City Secretary is hereby directed to publish this ordinance, or its caption and penalty, at least one time within TEN (10) days after final passage hereof or as soon thereafter as possible in a newspaper in the City of Georgetown, Texas. The City Secretary shall also receive from and file an affidavit of such publication by the publisher of such newspaper taken before any officer authorized to administer oaths as evidence of such publication. ARTICLE VII. SEVERABILITY If any article, paragraph or part of a paragraph of this this Ethics Ordinance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a Court of competent jurisdiction, the same shall not invalidate or impair the validity, force or effect of any other article, paragraph or part of a paragraph of this Ethics Ordinance. Read, passed and adopted this day of _ , 1985. Read, passed and adopted this1^ �day of 1985, on the second reading. / CITY SECRETARY APPROVED AS TO FORM: STUMP & STUMP CITY ATTORNEY 4.0ER A L JNG, MAYCITY OF GORGETOWN R