All Council persons, the City Manager and department heads, before commencing their official duties, shall take and sign an oath of office as shall from time to time be prescribed by law. This oath shall be filed in written form with the City Clerk prior to assuming office.
All Council persons, the City Manager and department heads, before commencing their official duties, shall affirm to a Code of Ethics as may be adopted by the City from time to time. The signed affirmation of such Code of Ethics by Council persons, the City Manager and department heads shall be filed with the City Clerk.
Neither the Council nor any of its members shall, in any manner, dictate the appointment or removal of any City administrative officers or employees whom the City Manager is empowered to appoint except as otherwise provided in the Charter; however, Council may, by a majority vote of its total membership, remove any person appointed by the Council under the Charter.
All elected and appointed officials of the City shall file a disclosure form as required by the State Ethics Law, every year during their term of office, with the City Clerk, which shall be available for public inspection.
A. 
General.
(1) 
No candidate for election, appointment or promotion with respect to any City position shall directly or indirectly give or promise, render or pay any money, service or other valuable thing to any person for the purpose of influencing or obtaining the support, aid or vote for or in connection with the individual's election, appointment or promotion.
(2) 
No elected official or employee shall in any manner receive benefit from the profits or emoluments of any contract, job or service for the City, or accept any service or thing of value, directly or indirectly, upon more favorable terms than those granted to the public generally, from any person dealing with the City.
(3) 
No elected official or employee shall solicit or receive any compensation, gratuity or other thing of value for any act done in the course of public service, except compensation for the position or employment held in the City.
(4) 
No elected official or employee shall compel another employee to contribute services or money other than required by law or ordinance.
(5) 
No individual shall be appointed to or removed from or in any way favored or discriminated against with respect to any municipal employment or appointive office because of race, sex, political, religious opinions or affiliations, or sexual orientation or gender.
(6) 
No individual shall willfully make any false statements, certificate, mark, rating or report in regard to any test, certification or appointment under the personnel provisions of the City; or in any manner commit or attempt to commit any fraud preventing the impartial execution of such provision.
B. 
Elected officials. No elected City official shall hold any other compensated position in the City.
C. 
Employees. Employees are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity during working hours and at all times in City offices and facilities.
Any person convicted of a felony or a crime or offense involving moral turpitude shall be ineligible to assume any municipal elected office, position or employment and, upon conviction thereof while in office or employment, shall forfeit such office or employment.
A. 
The amount of any balance or shortage, or any expenditure of a fund made in a manner prohibited or unauthorized by law, which causes financial loss to the City, shall be a surcharge against any official or employee who willfully has permitted or approved such expenditure or shortage to occur.
B. 
Any illegal expenditure made willfully in any report filed by the independent auditor to the Council against any official or employee shall constitute a surcharge, and unless appeal is taken, the Council shall cause same to be entered in the Office of the Prothonotary of the County of Blair as a judgment against the one surcharged in favor of the City.
C. 
In those instances where the Council finds that the shortage or expenditure, as aforesaid, was not caused by willfulness of the official or employee responsible therefor, but occurred despite the good faith of such person, the shortage shall not be entered as a surcharge, but the Council shall issue a special report on the matter and shall hold a public hearing concerning the report within 30 days after the issuance thereof.
D. 
It shall be lawful for the City, or any resident thereof on its behalf, or any official or employee whose account is settled or audited, to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Blair from the settlement or audit as shown on the report of the auditor to the Council, not later than 30 days after public notice of the filing of the report.
E. 
Judgment caused to be entered by the Council or by the Court after hearing on appeal shall be enforced by appropriate proceedings.
A. 
The following City officials shall each, before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, give bond to the City, duly approved by the City Solicitor, and conditioned upon the faithful performance and discharge of their respective duties and for proper application and payment of all money or property for which they are responsible by virtue of their offices in the amounts established by ordinance; and for proper application and payment of all money or property for which they are responsible by virtue of their offices in the amounts established by ordinance:
(1) 
City Finance Director.
(2) 
City Controller, if one is appointed.
B. 
The City Manager shall prescribe bonds for other individuals for whom the City Manager deems that coverage is necessary.
C. 
The expense for all fidelity bonds shall be borne by the City of Altoona.
Where law or ordinance prescribed certain functions to be performed by a designated department head under the former form of government, such function shall be performed by the equivalent department head to which the respective functions have been assigned by this Administrative Code.