The Town Board of the Town of Massena, New York, in the County of St.
Lawrence, recognizes that there are state statutory provisions mandating towns
to establish rules and standards of ethical conduct for public officers and
employees which, if observed, can enhance public confidence in local government.
In the light of a tendency today on the part of some people to downgrade our
local governments and to discredit our public servants and our free institutions
generally, it appears necessary that every effort be made to assure the highest
caliber of public administration of this town as part of our state's
important system of local government. It is the purpose of this chapter to
implement this objective through the establishment of standards of conduct,
to provide for punishment of violation of such standards and to create a Board
of Ethics to render advisory opinions to the town's officers and employees
as provided for herein.
The standards, prohibited acts and procedures established herein are
in addition to any prohibited acts, conflicts of interest provisions or procedures
prescribed by statute of the State of New York and also in addition to common-law
rules and judicial decisions relating to the conduct of town officers to the
extent that the same are more severe in their application than this chapter.