(A) It shall be a conflict of interest and violation of this chapter for a public official or employee to participate in the procurement of any contract or purchase by the town if such contract or purchase financially benefits the public official or employee, his or her family member, or other entity in which he or she has a financial interest.
(B) It shall be a conflict of interest and violation of this chapter for a public official:
(1) (a) To participate in any vote or participate in any discussion in his or her public capacity with the town on any matter if the matter has an economic benefit to the public official, his or her family member, or anything in which he or she has a financial interest.
(b) In addition to recusal, a public official shall disclose any potential relationship to the Office of the Clerk-Treasurer within five days of obtaining such knowledge unless the relationship has been previously disclosed. The Clerk-Treasurer shall retain on file all such disclosures. In the event that the public official desires to abstain from voting on a particular matter, the public official shall announce his or her intention to abstain before the vote is taken and shall also provide a reason for the abstention. In the event that the abstention from voting would result in a lack of quorum for the board or commission to act, then the affected public official may vote after full disclosure;
(2) To pressure, coerce, force, or require any other public official to engage in any conduct that would result in economic benefit to either public official;
(3) To assist any person in any transaction with the town when such assistance is or would reasonably appear to be improperly enhanced by the position of the public official of the town. Public officials may provide such assistance if it is provided in the course of their official duties;
(4) To disclose or use any information obtained as a public official for his or her private gain, for the gain of another public official or for any other person unless and until such information is available to the public;
(5) To solicit or receive a gift or loan when it has been or would reasonably appear to have been solicited, received or given with the intent to give or obtain special consideration or influence as to any action by such public official in his or her official capacity with the town; and
(6) To receive a gift or honorarium in excess of $200 in any calendar year from any individual or other entity doing business with the town; however, the public official may receive such gift or honorarium and donate the gift or honorarium to a not-for-profit agency or to the town for public purpose.
(Ord. 2022-02, passed 1-10-22)