§ 2-122. Code of ethics

(a) Purpose. The intention of this section is to hold the respect of and inspire confidence in the people, as well as to protect the supervisors from any suspicion. This section is not intended to be a punitive approach to ethics; rather, it is merely a listing of those essentials which all elected officials should observe. Wis. Stats. §§ 19.41—19.59 set forth various items of conduct which are deemed to be unlawful and this code of ethics is not intended to be an adoption of a criminal code. The items which are intended to be covered herein do not require an intention to do wrong; rather, they are the mere acts themselves, which in doing, might cast some doubt upon the integrity of the party involved.

(b) Prohibited activities. The following conduct on the part of a county board member, or an elected or appointed official, shall be deemed unethical:

(1) No county board member, or elected or appointed official, should use his position to obtain preferential treatment or obtain financial gain for himself or his immediate family or for any business with which he is associated.

(2) No county board member, or elected or appointed official, should disclose or use inside information concerning the county to promote a private financial gain.

(3) No county board member should vote for the adoption or defeat of any legislation in which the individual supervisor has a personal financial interest.

(4) Any supervisor, or elected or appointed official, directly or indirectly involved in a zoning change shall disclose his position.

(5) The county shall not lease public land to any county official. Any existing lease shall be terminated within a reasonable time.

(6) Nothing herein shall prohibit a supervisor, or elected or appointed official, from entering into a contract as provided by state law with the statutory limits imposed.

(c) Conflict of interest. Any county board member having an interest in any business matter before the board shall disclose any connection or conflict and should refrain from voting. Any board member who considers that the vote of another county board member on an issue presently before the board to be, or to possibly be, in conflict with the provisions of this section shall request that such second member abstain from voting on such issue. The recourse of the member requested to abstain from voting shall be to apply for a hearing before the ethics committee. The ethics committee shall, upon written request of any county board member or when it deems a possible conflict of interest exists, be empowered to require any supervisor or county official to complete a form, to be known as the "County Supervisor—County Official Statement," to be filed with the county clerk. Policing of this code of ethics shall be left to the individual members, with their recourse being to the chair. In any situation where the chair is unable to act, the vice-chair shall so act. There shall be further recourse to an ethics committee consisting of the county board chair and two other persons appointed by the chair.

(d) Receipt of gifts and gratuities.

(1) No elected or appointed official, supervisor or employee of the county shall receive or offer to receive, either directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity or item exceeding nominal value from any person if such person:

a. Has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the county or any sub-unit of the county.

b. Conducts operations or activities which are regulated by the county or its sub-units.

c. Has interests which may be substantially affected by the county.

(2) Any violation of this subsection may result in disciplinary action being taken against the official, supervisor or employee involved.

(e) Statement of policy. The receipt of any gift, gratuity or item exceeding the nominal value as specified in subsection (d) of this section is contrary to the public policy of the county. The county code of ethics is consistent with Wis. Stats. §§ 19.41—19.545 and the rules as established by the state ethics board.

(Ord. of 4-12-2004, § 2.03(B)(5))