2.20.010 Declaration of policy.
It is declared that:
(a) High moral and ethical standards among the borough elected and appointed officials and borough employees are essential to assure the trust, respect, and confidence of the people of this borough;
(b) A code of ethics for the guidance of the borough elected and appointed officials and borough employees will:
(1) Discourage the borough elected and appointed officials and borough employees from acting upon personal or financial interests in the performance of their public responsibilities;
(2) Improve standards of public service; and
(3) Promote and strengthen the faith and confidence of the people of this borough in public officials and employees;
(c) Holding public office or employment is a public trust, and as one safeguard of that trust, the people require the borough elected and appointed officials and borough employees to adhere to a code of ethics;
(d) A fair and open government requires that the borough elected and appointed officials and borough employees conduct the public’s business in a manner that preserves the integrity of the governmental process and avoids conflicts of interest;
(e) Any effort to benefit a person’s financial interest through official action is a violation of the public trust. The assembly finds that as long as this chapter does not interfere with the full and faithful discharge of the duties and responsibilities of a borough elected or appointed official or employee, this chapter does not prevent that person from following other pursuits. The borough assembly further recognizes that:
(1) In a municipality such as the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, elected and appointed officials and borough employees are drawn from society and therefore often have financial interests in the decisions and policies of local government;
(2) People who serve as elected or appointed officials or borough employees should retain the right to interests of a financial nature;
(3) Standards of ethical conduct for elected and appointed officials and borough employees must distinguish between those minor and insubstantial conflicts that are unavoidable in a free society and those conflicts of interest that are substantial and material;
(f) Unethical conduct is prohibited. However, there is no impropriety if, as to a specific matter, an elected or appointed official or borough employee:
(1) Has a financial interest in the matter which is insubstantial or which is possessed generally by the public or a large class of persons to which the person belongs; or
(2) Performs some duty or has some influence which would have an insubstantial or conjectural effect on the matter;
(g) In order for the rules governing conduct to be respected both during and after leaving public service, the code of ethics must be administered fairly without bias or favoritism;
(h) No code of conduct, however comprehensive, can anticipate all situations in which violations may occur nor can it prescribe behaviors that are appropriate to every situation; in addition, laws and regulations regarding ethical responsibilities cannot legislate morality, eradicate corruption, or eliminate bad judgment; and
(i) Compliance with a code of ethics is an individual responsibility; thus all who serve the borough have a solemn responsibility to avoid improper conduct and prevent improper behavior by colleagues and subordinates. [Ord. No. 1366S, §1, 11-21-05. Code 1974 §5.37.010.]