(A) This section shall be known as the “City Conflicts of Interest Ordinance”.
(B) No public official or employee shall engage in or accept private employment or render services for private interests when such employment or service is, directly or indirectly, in conflict with the proper discharge of that person’s official duties; or which may affect or impair the official’s independence of judgment or action in the performance of official duties.
(C) No public official or employee shall represent, directly or indirectly, any private person or interest:
(1) Before any city department, agency, commission or board, except in matters of purely public or civic concern and then only without compensation or remuneration;
(2) In any action or proceeding against the interest of the city or in any litigation in which the city or any city department, agency, commission or board is a party, but nothing in this division (C)(2) shall limit the authority of the City Attorney and his or her staff; or
(3) In any action or proceeding in the Municipal Court which was instituted by a public official or an employee in the course of that person’s official duties, but nothing in this division (C)(3) shall limit the authority of the City Attorney and his or her staff.
(D) No public official shall use confidential information obtained during the proper discharge of his or her official duties to advance the financial or other private interest of himself, herself or others.
(E) (1) No public official or employee shall accept any gift, favor, service or other thing of value in excess of $50 and which would reasonably be calculated to improperly influence him or her in the discharge of his or her official duties and which would not be given or offered to him or her were he or she not a public official or an employee of the city.
(2) No public official or employee shall grant in the discharge of his or her official duties any improper favor, service or thing of value.
(F) (1) A breach by an employee of any of the provisions of this section may result in the immediate reprimand, suspension and/or termination of the employee.
(2) Any breach of any of the provisions of this section by a public official shall result in the matter being reviewed by the entire Commission and appropriate action being taken by a majority vote of the Commission.
(1998 Code, § 2-64) (Ord. 95-25, passed 12-20-1995) Penalty, see § 10.99
Statutory reference:
Regulation of conflicts of interests, see Tex. Local Gov’t Code §§ 171.001 et seq.