A. An elected official; administrative officer; Municipal Court Judge; or board, committee, or commission member appointed by City Council, the President of Council, or the Mayor who is the subject of an investigation as a result of a complaint(s) filed with the Commission, upon the Commission's finding that it has jurisdiction over the complaint(s) and that the complaint(s) is non-frivolous, is entitled to an independent legal representative of his or her choice at the City's expense, subject to the limitations contained in this section. The legal expenses paid by the City shall not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) per investigation unless good cause is shown to exceed this limit. City Council shall have sole discretion to determine whether good cause exists to extend the payment for legal expenses beyond the ten thousand dollar ($10,000.00) limit. No decision with regard to legal expenses may be appealed or challenged.
B. The term "legal expenses" shall include attorney fees, witness fees, stenographer fees, investigator fees, and other direct costs in connection with defending the individual against an ethics complaint.
C. Before the City shall pay any legal expenses, the accused party shall acknowledge in writing the City's full reservation of right to reimbursement for all legal expenses if the accused party is found to have committed a violation of the Code of Ethics.
D. Requests for payment of legal expenses shall be submitted to the City Attorney and, once verified, paid within ten (10) days or as soon as practicable, subject to the monetary limitations above. Requests for payment of legal expenses shall be submitted no later than forty five (45) days after the matter is closed.
E. Within thirty (30) days of the expiration of exhaustion of all rights to appeal any final decision by City Council concerning the ethics complaint, an accused party found to have committed a violation of the Code of Ethics shall be required to reimburse the City for all legal expenses paid by the City for the accused party's defense. (Ord. 16-122)