A. Effect. The provisions of this Article shall apply alike to all officers and employees of the Village, regardless of the time of the creation of the office or position or the time of the appointment of the officer or employee.
B. Appointments. All officers shall be appointed or selected by the Village President as provided by statute, ordinance, or resolution, as the case may be.
C. Term of Office; Vacancies. Every appointive officer of the Village shall hold office until the first day of May following his appointment or until his successor is appointed and qualified, unless it is otherwise provided by ordinance. In case of vacancy in any such place, it shall be filed in the same manner in which appointments or selections are made, in the absence of provision to the contrary.
D. Monies Received. Every officer of the Village shall at least once a month turn over all money received by him in his official capacity, to the Treasurer with a statement showing the source from which the same was received.
E. Oath. Every officer of the Village shall, before entering upon his duties, take the oath prescribed by statute.
F. Salaries. All officers and employees of the Village shall receive such salary as may be from time to time provided by ordinance or resolution.
G. Assignment of Duties. Any duty which is not assigned by ordinance to some other specific officer and disputes or questions relating to the respective powers or duties of officers shall be given to any appointive officer.
H. Records. All records kept by any officer of the Village shall be open to inspection by the President or any member of the Board of Trustees at all reasonable times, whether or not such records are required to be kept by statute or ordinance.
J. Bond. Every officer and employee, except trustees (of whom no bond shall be required), shall execute a bond with security to be approved by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Mettawa, in accordance with the terms and provisions of Article III of this Chapter.
K. Arrests. The Village President, members of the Board of Trustees, as well as every member of the Police Department, are hereby declared to be conservators of the peace as authorized by statute.
L. Termination of Office. Every officer and employee of the Village, upon the expiration of his term for any cause whatsoever, shall deliver to his successor all books and records which may be the property of the Village; and if no successor has been appointed within one week after the termination of office, such property shall be delivered to the Village Clerk or Village Treasurer.
M. Impersonation. It shall be unlawful for any person to impersonate without lawful authority any Village officer or employee.
N. Interference with Officers. It shall be unlawful to interfere with or hinder any officer or employee of the Village while engaged in the duties of his office or employment.
O. Independent Audits. The President and Board of Trustees shall provide an annual independent audit of all accounts of the Village for the prior filing year, which audits shall be conducted independently of the Village Treasurer and by some person or firm selected by the President and Board of Trustees. Full reports of such audits shall be filed with the Village Clerk and maintained as public records. This authorization with respect to such audits by the President and Board of Trustees shall not be construed in any manner to limit the responsibility of the Village President for the proper expenditure of Village funds.
P. Conflicts of Interest.
1. Declaration of Policy. The proper operation of government requires that all officials, elected and appointed, and salaried employees, hereinafter referred to as Village officials, be independent and impartial; that government decisions and policy be made and carried out in the proper channels of the government structure; and that public office not be used for personal gain and that the public have confidence in the integrity of its government. The attainment of one or more of these ends is impaired whenever there exists or appears to exist, an actual or potential conflict between the private interests of a government official and his duties as an official. The public interest requires, therefore, that the law protect against such conflicts of interest and establish appropriate ethical standards with respect to conduct in situations where actual or potential conflicts exist.
a. Public officials are agents of public purpose and hold office for the benefit of the public. They are bound to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois and to carry out impartially the laws of the Nation, State and Village, thus fostering respect for all government. They are bound to observe in their official acts the highest standards of morality and to discharge faithfully the duties of their office regardless of personal considerations, recognizing that the public interest must be their primary concern. Their conduct in both their official and private affairs should be above reproach.
b. All officials of the Village of Mettawa shall not exceed their authority or breach the law or ask others to do so.
2. Nonpartisan Organization.
a. No public official, whether elected or appointed, shall promise an appointment to any salaried municipal position as a reward for any political activity.
b. No public official, whether elected or appointed, shall cause any other Village employee to contribute to or perform work for any political party as a condition of continued employment.
3. Public Property. No public official shall request or permit the use of Village owned vehicles, equipment, materials, or property for personal convenience or profit, except when such services are available to the public generally, or are provided as municipal policy for use of such public official in the conduct of official business.
4. Gifts and Favors. No public official or his immediate family shall accept any gift from any person, firm, or corporation which to their knowledge is interested directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever in business dealings with the Village, nor shall such public official:
a. Accept any gift, favor or thing of value that may tend to influence him in the discharge of his duties; or
b. Grant in the discharge of his duties any improper favor, service, or thing of value.
5. Official Activity. No public official shall engage in any activity or may be in any manner interested, either directly or indirectly, in his name or in the name of any other person, association, trust, or corporation in any contract or the performance of any work for the making or letting of which such official may be called upon to act or vote.
a. No such public official may represent, either as agent or otherwise, any person, association, trust, or corporation, with respect to any application or bid for any contract or work in regard to which such official may be called upon to vote.
b. Any contract made and procured in violation of this Section is void.