(a) This Ethics Chapter for the Village of Wolverine Lake expresses standards of ethical conduct expected for the officials and employees of the Village of Wolverine Lake. Village Council members themselves have the primary responsibility to assure that they understand and meet the ethical standards expressed in this code of ethics and that the public can continue to have full confidence in the integrity of government.
(b) Complaints alleging a violation of this chapter by an employee shall be filed with the Village administrator. The Village administrator shall investigate the complaint to establish whether a violation of this section occurred and any appropriate sanction that should be imposed. In cases where an employee is a member of a union, compliance with applicable union policies and procedures shall occur.
(c) Complaints alleging a violation of this section by any elected or appointed officials shall be filed with the Village administrator, who shall investigate the complaint If the Village administrator has a reasonable belief that a violation of this section occurred, then he or she shall report the complaint and the initial investigation findings to the Village Council.
(d) In addition to receiving complaints from the Village Administrator, all Village Council members shall have a responsibility to intervene when they learn of actions of another Village Council member or other Village official that appear to be in violation of the Ethics Ordinance.
(e) Upon acquiring reasonable suspicion of a violation of the Ethics Ordinance, by complaint or otherwise, the Village Council president shall set, or any three council members may require the setting of, a public hearing at a regular or special meeting of the Village Council to determine whether a violation of the Ethics Ordinance occurred and, if so, what sanctions shall be imposed for the violation. In complaints alleging a violation of this chapter by a member of the Village Council, that member shall not take part in any proceedings related to the complaint as a Village Council member.
(f) The Village Council may impose sanctions on Village officials whose conduct does not comply with the Village's ethical standards. A violation of this chapter by any Village official shall be deemed misconduct in office as set forth in Section 5.3 of the Village Charter. Sanctions may include reprimand, formal censure, loss of committee assignment, restrictions on budget or travel, and removal from office. Upon removal of a member of Council from office, Council shall appoint a successor in the manner described in the Village Charter for appointments.
(Ord. 155. Passed 1-13-16.)