[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township
of Middletown 1-3-1977 by Ord. No. 77-1 (Ch. 1, Part 2A, of the
1992 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 12-1-1992 by Ord. No. 92-13]
A.Â
Elected and appointed officials and Township employees are agents
for the people of Middletown Township and, while performing their
duties in the interest of all of the residents of Middletown Township,
are bound to uphold, support and defend the Constitution of the United
States, the Constitution of the Commonwealth, the laws of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, as well as all ordinances passed by the Board of
Supervisors of Middletown Township.
B.Â
The duty of elected and appointed Township officials and employees
to work in the public interest entails responsibility for the proper,
efficient and economical management of all public funds, property
and other resources. All Township officials and employees shall faithfully
discharge their duties to the best of their abilities.
C.Â
No elected or appointed Township official or employee shall discriminate
against any resident of this Township on the basis of age, sex, race,
creed, national origin, political belief, or handicap.
In order that all elected and appointed Township officials and
employees may clearly understand the areas of possible conflict of
interest, the following rules of conduct are set forth:
A.Â
No member of the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors, nor member
of any other Township Board, whether such a member is appointed or
elected, nor any Township officer or employee, shall be financially
interested in any award, contract, decision, decree or judgment made
by him in his official capacity or by any board or body of which he
is a member.
B.Â
Should such a conflict arise, or should the same involve any immediate
family member or business associate, then said member of the Board
of Supervisors or member of any other Township board or Township officer
or employee shall abstain from any voting and shall publicly state
at all public meetings in which said award, contract, decision, decree
or judgment is discussed the nature of his conflict. Mere abstention,
without public disclosure as to its reason, shall not be sufficient.
Township officials and employees and the immediate families
of Township officials and employees shall not, directly or indirectly,
solicit, accept or agree to accept any gift of money or goods, loans
or services for personal benefit under any circumstances which could
influence the manner in which the appointed officials or Township
employees perform their work, make their decisions, or otherwise perform
their duties.
No Township official or employee shall for his or her own personal
gain or for the gain of others use any information not available to
the public at large or divulge confidential information in advance
of the time prescribed for its authorized release. Nor shall any Township
official or employee receive compensation for consultation which substantially
draws upon official ideas or data which have not been disclosed to
the public.
In the event that any Township official or employee is indicted
for any offense by either the state or federal government, the Board
of Supervisors shall review and consider the circumstances underlying
such indictment and may, upon majority vote, recommend the voluntary
withdrawal of such official or employee from his official post or
employment until such time as the matter has been resolved in favor
of such official or employee. Any Township employee who does so voluntarily
withdraw from his employment shall receive all back pay upon his resumption
of employment after such favorable disposition.
[Amended 12-1-1992 by Ord. No. 92-13; 6-23-1998 by Ord. No. 98-08]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this chapter, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before
a Magisterial District Judge in the manner provided for the enforcement
of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure,
shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs
and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment
not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this chapter continues
or each section of this chapter which shall be found to have been
violated shall constitute a separate offense.
In the event that any of the provisions of this chapter conflict
with those of the Second Class Township Code or any other statutes
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or in the event that violations
hereof constitute violations of such code or other statutes, the terms
of said code or statute shall prevail and any such violation shall
be prosecuted under the terms of such code or statute and not under
the terms hereof.
