(A) Citizens, businesses and visitors alike look to government to be a model example of an ethical organization. First and foremost we must embrace the concept that the general public will have confidence that the conduct of County business is always conducive to the public good.
(B) Conflicts of Interest - No County employee shall engage in any act which is in conflict or creates an appearance of fairness, or conflict with the performance of official duties. An employee shall be deemed to have a conflict if the employee:
(1) Has any financial interest in any sale to the County of any goods or services in which such financial interest was received with prior knowledge that the County intended to, purchase the property, goods, or services.
(2) Solicits, accepts, or seeks a gift, gratuity, or favor from any person, firm, or corporation involved in a contract or transaction which is or may be the subject of official action by the County.
(a) Recognizing that personal friendships often precede and can evolve from official contact between employees and persons engaged in business with the County, reasonable exceptions to this section are permitted for those occasions which are social in nature and are not predicated on the employee's ability to influence, directly or indirectly, any matter before the County.
(b) The employee will be guided in interpretation of this section by the distinction between a gift, gratuity, or favor given or received which has significant monetary value and is offered or accepted in expectation of preferential treatment, and an expression of courtesy. Examples of acceptable courtesies include: a meal or social event; exchanges of floral offerings or gifts of food to commemorate events such as illness, death, holidays, and promotions; a sample or promotional gift of nominal value ($100 or less).
(3) Participates in his/her capacity as a County employee in the issuing of a purchase order or contract in which he/she has a private pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, or performs in regard to such contract, some function requiring the exercise of discretion on behalf of the County.
(4) Engages in, accepts employment from, or renders services for private interests for any compensation or consideration having monetary value when such employment or service is incompatible with the proper discharge of official duties or would tend to impair independence of judgment or action in performance of official duties, or give the appearance of the above. An employee should not make a unilateral decision if there is any doubt about his/her private employment. The appropriate elected official's office should be consulted.
(5) Except for courtesies as provided in item (2) above, no employee shall, directly or indirectly, give or receive or agree to receive any compensation, gift, reward, commission or gratuity from any source except the County for any matter directly connected with or related to his official services as such employee with this County.
(6) Discloses or uses without authorization, confidential information concerning property or affairs of the County to advance a private interest with respect to any contract or transaction which is or may be the subject of official action of the County.
(7) Have a financial interest or personal interest in any legislation coming before the County Council and participates in discussion with or gives an official opinion to the County Council unless the employee discloses on the record of the Council the nature and extent of such interest.
(C) Use of Public Property
(1) No employee of the County shall request, use, or permit the use of County owned vehicles, clothing, equipment, materials, unpublished information or other property for unauthorized personal convenience, for profit, for private use, or as part of secondary employment. Use of such County property is to be restricted to such services as are available to the County generally and for the conduct of official County business (See “Care For County Property Policy” [this section] for specific information). Telephones and fax machines serve as important tools and need to be used for official business; personal calls should be kept to a minimum (See “Telephone Use Policy” [this section] for specific information).
(2) Authorized personal uses include taking an assigned County vehicle to lunch, on workdays as needed. Use of County issued cellular phones for personal calls providing those calls are reimbursed to the County, and other nominal personal uses as permitted by the appropriate elected official on a case-by-case basis.
(D) Political Activities Conducted On Government Time
(1) Political activity on government time is strictly prohibited. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to: soliciting contributions or anything of value for a political candidate or cause; distributing literature, badges, buttons, signs, or stickers promoting or opposing any political candidate or cause; and, organizing, planning, or in any other way participating in the administration of any political campaign, including speaking in favor of or in opposition to any political candidate or cause.
(2) Working time includes the working time of both the employee conducting political activities and the employee to whom such activities are directed, but does not include break, lunch, or other duty-free periods of time.
(E) Solicitation and Distribution
(1) Because solicitation and distribution activities may interfere with normal operations, reduce employee efficiency, inconvenience employees, annoy customers, and pose a threat to security, the County prohibits these activities on its premises by non-employees and only permits solicitation and distribution by employees under certain approved conditions where the County may authorize fund drives by employees on behalf of charitable organizations or for employee gifts. Employees are encouraged to volunteer to assist in these drives, but participation is entirely voluntary.
(2) Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action. Ethics training is offered by the County Human Resources Consultant several times per year.