§ 2.90.200. Declaration of policy.

It is declared that:

A.

High moral and ethical standards among 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 borough employees will:

1.

discourage 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 employees;

C.

Holding borough employment is a public trust and, as one safeguard of that trust, the people require the borough employees to adhere to a code of ethics;

D.

A fair and open government requires that the borough employees conduct the public's business in a manner that preserves the integrity of the governmental process and avoids conflicts of interest;

E.

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;

F.

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

G.

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. 2010-10, § 1, 4-20-10)