In any case where a municipal officer, official
or employee, elected or appointed, knows or by the exercise of reasonable
diligence could know that he is interested to any appreciable degree,
either directly or indirectly, in any contract for the sale or furnishing
of any personal property for the use of the municipality or for any
services to be rendered for such municipality involving the expenditure
by the Municipality of more than three hundred dollars ($300.) in
any year, he shall notify the Council thereof, and any such contract
shall not be passed and approved by the Council except by an affirmative
vote of at least three-fourths (3/4) of the members thereof. In case
the interested officer is a member of the Council, he shall refrain
from voting upon said contract. The provisions of this section shall
not apply to cases where such officer, official or employee of the
person, firm or corporation to which money is to be paid in a capacity
with no possible influence on the transaction and in which he cannot
possibly be benefited thereby, either financially or in any other
material manner. Any officer, official or employee who shall knowingly
violate the provisions of this section shall be liable to the municipality
upon his bond, if any, or personally, to the extent of the damage
shown to be sustained thereby by the municipality, and subject to
ouster from office or employment upon conviction of any such violation.
Pursuant to Section 805B of the Charter, a Code
of Ethics for elected officials and employees of departments and members
of various boards, commissions and authorities is hereby established.
No elected or appointed officer or employee of the municipality shall
direct or compel any other officer or employee of the municipality
to do or perform any outside private work during the hours he is employed
by the municipality, nor shall any officer or employee use or cause
to be used any municipality-owned property for any private purpose.
The penalty for violating this section shall be the same as that set
forth in the conflict of interest section.
