[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees
of the Village of Greenwood Lake 1-4-1971 by L.L. No. 1-1971. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Indemnification of employees -- See Ch. 15.
Statement of legislative intent. The Governor’s Special Commission on
Ethical Standards in Public Service has published its report, a part of which
is printed here:
“In making its study, the Commission
found the greatest shortcomings of law in the area of ethics to be the failure
to provide municipal officers and employees with codes of conduct. They are
left uncertain whether any course of action they may take is proper or may
become the basis for political attack and public dissatisfaction.”
The Village Board of the Village of Greenwood Lake wishes to supply the
public officers and employees of the village with rules of ethical conduct so
that the officers and employees of the village may conduct themselves in such a
manner as to enhance public confidence in local government and to provide officers
and employees of the village with a set of guidelines for their actions. It is
also the purpose of this chapter to provide for punishment of violations of
such standards and to create a Board of Ethics to render advisory opinions to
the village‘s officers and employees as provided for herein.
The standards, prohibited acts and procedures established herein are in
addition to any prohibited acts, conflicts of interest provisions or procedures
prescribed by statute of the State of New York and also in addition to common
law rules and judicial decisions relating to the conduct of village officers
and employees to the extent that the same are more severe in their application
than this chapter.
ARTICLE II, Conflicts of
Interest
No village employee shall have any interest, financial or otherwise,
direct or indirect, or engage in any business transaction or professional
activity or incur any obligation of any nature which is in substantial conflict
with the proper discharge of his duties in the public interest.
§ 9-4. Representation of private interests.
No village employee or officer shall represent private interests before
an agency of the village of which he is a member, by which he is employed or to
which he renders consulting service.
No village employee shall accept other employment which will impair his
independence of judgment in the exercise of his official duties.
ARTICLE III, Confidential
Information
§ 9-6. Activities requiring disclosure.
No village officer or employee shall accept employment or engage in any
business or professional activity which will require him to disclose
confidential information which he has gained by reason of his official position
or authority.
§ 9-7. Use of official information.
No village officer or employee shall disclose confidential information
acquired by him in the course of his official duties nor use such information
to advance his financial or other private interests.
ARTICLE IV, Financial Interests
§ 9-8. Disclosure; disqualification
from voting.
Any village officer or employee who has a financial interest, direct or
indirect, in any contract with the village, or in the sale of any land,
material, supplies or service to the village or in a contractor supplying the
village shall make known the interest and shall refrain from voting upon or
otherwise participating in the making of the contract.
§ 9-9. Employees’ interest in pending
legislation; disclosure.
Each village employee shall, to the extent that he is cognizant thereof,
disclose any interest he may have in legislation before the Village Board.
ARTICLE V, Standards of Conduct
No village officer or employee shall accept other employment which will
impair his independence of judgment in the exercise of his official duties.
§ 9-11. Privileges and exemptions.
No village officer or employee shall use or attempt to use his official position
to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for himself or others.
No village officer or employee should by his conduct give reasonable
basis for the impression that another can improperly influence him or unduly enjoy
his favor in the performance of official duties or that he is affected by
kinship, rank, position or influence of any party or person.
Each village officer or employee shall endeavor to pursue a course of
conduct which will not raise suspicion among the public that he is likely to be
engaged in acts that are in violation of this trust.
§ 9-14. Penalties for offenses; removal
from office.
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision of law, any
person who shall knowingly and intentionally violate any of the provisions of
this code may be fined, suspended or removed from office or employment, as the
case may be, in the manner provided by law.
§ 9-15. Distribution of copies of code.
Upon the adoption of this chapter, the Village Mayor shall cause a copy
thereof to be distributed to every village employee of this village. Failure to
distribute any such copy or failure of any village employee to receive such
copy shall have no effect on the duty of compliance with this code, nor the
enforcement of provisions hereof. The Village Mayor also shall further cause a
copy of this chapter to be kept posted conspicuously in each public building
under the jurisdiction of the village. Failure to do so (post this chapter)
shall have no effect on the duty of compliance herewith, nor the enforcement
provisions hereof.
Within 30 days of the adoption of this chapter, the Village Clerk shall
file a copy thereof in the office of the State Comptroller.
The Village Board may appropriate moneys from the general village funds
for the maintenance of and for personnel services to the Board of Ethics
established hereunder, but such Board of Ethics may not commit the expenditure
of village moneys except within the appropriations provided herein.