(A) Conflicts of interest. Any purchase or contract within the purview of this chapter in which the Purchasing Director or any officer or employee of the county is financially interested, directly or indirectly, or which is, in any other manner, in conflict with state or local ethics laws, as they may be amended from time to time, shall be void if the other party knew or should have known of the interest or conflict; provided, however, that, before the execution of a purchase or contract, the County Administrator shall have the authority to waive compliance with this section when he or she finds such interest to be so remote or indirect as to be inconsequential and not in violation of law.
(1) No employee or elected official of the county may bid on a county contract if that individual is authorized to exercise decision making authority or responsibility with regard to that contract for the county, and any such person is declared to have a conflict of interest;
(2) No County Council member may bid on, or be a subcontractor on, any county contract;
(3) It is further declared that any person, corporation or other legal entity which is involved in active or threatened litigation with the county, or any of its officials or agencies, over a contractual or other matter (other than the contesting of a tax assessment or contesting a minor traffic violation or minor code violation), has a conflict of interest for purposes of the Competitive Purchasing procedures set forth in Chapter 34 of the Newberry County Code of Ordinances; and
(4) That any such person, corporation or other legal entity with a conflict of interest is debarred from bidding on county proposals for the acquisition of goods or services until such litigation or threat of litigation is finally resolved.
(B) Gratuities.
(1) Acceptance prohibited. The acceptance of any gratuity in the form of cash, merchandise, or any other thing of value by an employee of the county from any person, firm, or corporation to which any purchase or contract is or might be awarded, in violation of state ethics laws, shall be deemed a violation of this chapter and may be cause for removal or other disciplinary action. State and local ethics laws govern fully in this regard.
(2) Other prohibited. The offer of any gratuity in violation of state ethics laws by any actual or prospective vendor or contractor shall be cause for canceling any contract involved, for declaring the vendor or contractor an irresponsible bidder or removal of the vendor from the vendor files and bidders list.
(Ord. 01-02-04, passed 1-7-2004; Am. Ord. 10-42-06, passed 11-15-2006)