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