Legal Documents of Kingston

Code of Kingston

Table of Contents » Title 1 General Administration » Chapter 4 Code Of Ethics » § 1-411 Ethics complaints.
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Title 1
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Title 1, Chapter 1
1-101
§ 1-101
Kingston
Title 1 : General Administration
Chapter 4 : Code Of Ethics

1-411 : Ethics complaints.

  1. The city attorney is designated as the ethics officer of the municipality. Upon the written request of an official or employee potentially affected by a provision of this chapter, the city attorney may render an oral or written advisory ethics opinion based upon this chapter and other applicable law.
    1. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the city attorney shall investigate any creditable complaint against any appointed official or employee charged with violating provisions of this chapter, or may undertake an investigation on his own initiative when he acquires information indicating a possible violation, and make recommendations for action to end or seek retribution for any activity that, in the attorney's judgment, constitutes a violation of this code of ethics.
    2. The city attorney may request the government body to hire another attorney, individual, or entity to act as ethics officer when he has or will have a conflict of interest in a particular matter.
    3. When a complaint of a violation of any provision of this chapter is lodged against a member of the city's governing body, the governing body shall convene in special session as a committee of the whole to conduct a hearing to consider the merits of the complaint and make a determination that either: the complaint has merit; does not have merit; or that the complaint has sufficient merit to warrant further investigation. If the governing body determines that a complaint warrants further investigation, it shall authorize an investigation by the city attorney or another individual or entity chosen by the governing body.
  3. The interpretation that a reasonable person would make shall be used in interpreting and enforcing this code of ethics.
  4. When a violation of this code of ethics also constitutes a violation of a personnel policy, rule, or regulation, or a civil service policy, rule, or regulation, the violation shall be dealt with as a violation of the personnel or civil service provisions rather then as a violation of this code of ethics. (2009 Code, § 1-411)