§ 2-174. Prohibitions.

(a)

No county official shall use such position to secure special privileges or exemptions for himself or herself or others, or to secure confidential information for any purpose other than official duties on behalf of the county.

(b)

No county official, in any matter before the commission or other county body, relating to a person or entity in which the official has a substantial interest, shall fail to disclose for the record such interest prior to any discussion or vote or fail to recuse himself/herself from such discussion or vote as applicable.

(c)

No county official shall act as an agent or attorney for another in any matter before the county council or other county body.

(d)

No county official shall directly or indirectly receive, or agree to receive, any compensation, gift, reward, or gratuity in any matter or proceeding connected with, or related to, the duties of his office except as may be provided by law.

(e)

No county official shall enter into any contract with, or have any interest in, either directly or indirectly, the county except as authorized by state law.

(1)

This prohibition shall not be applicable to the professional activities of the county attorney in his or her work as an independent contractor and legal advisor on behalf of the county.

(2)

This prohibition shall not be applicable to an otherwise valid employment contract between the county and a county official who is not elected (such as, by way of example, a county manager or county administrator).

(3)

Any official who has a proprietary interest in an agency doing business with the county shall make that interest known in writing to the county council and the county clerk.

(f)

All public funds shall be used for the general welfare of the people and not for personal economic gain.

(g)

Public property shall be disposed of in accordance with state law.

(h)

No county official shall solicit or accept other employment to be performed, or compensation to be received, while still a county official if the employment or compensation could reasonably be expected to impair such official's judgment or performance of county duties.

(i)

If a county official accepts or is soliciting a promise of future employment from any person or entity who has a substantial interest in a person, entity or property which would be affected by any decision upon which the official might reasonably be expected to act, investigate, advise, or make a recommendation, the official shall disclose the fact to the county council and shall recuse himself/herself and take no further action on matters regarding the potential future employer.

(j)

No county official shall use county facilities, personnel, equipment or supplies for private purposes, except to the extent such are lawfully available to the public.

(k)

No county official shall grant or make available to any person any consideration, treatment, advantage or favor beyond that which it is the general practice to grant or make available to the public at large.

(l)

A county official shall not directly or indirectly make use of, or permit others to make use of, official information not made available to the general public for the purpose of furthering a private interest.

(m)

A county official shall not use his or her position in any way to coerce, or give the appearance of coercing, another person to provide any financial benefit to such official or persons within the official's immediate family, or those with whom the official has business or financial ties amounting to a substantial interest.

(n)

A county official shall not order any goods and services for the county without prior official authorization for such an expenditure. No county official shall attempt to obligate the county nor give the impression of obligating the county without proper prior authorization.

(o)

No county official shall draw travel funds or per diem from the county for attendance at meetings, seminars, training or other educational events and fail to attend such events without promptly reimbursing the county therefore.

(p)

No county official shall attempt to unduly influence the outcome of a case before any of the courts in Jackson County or the Piedmont Judicial Circuit.

(Ord. No. 10-11, § 1, 10-18-2010)