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An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to amend and supplement the Code of the County of Allegheny, Division 1, entitled "Administrative Code," §5-1013.09 entitled "Standards of Conduct," by creating a new §5-1013.09(R) to prohibit board members of the Allegheny County authorities from soliciting or accepting a gift, loan, reward, promises of future employment, benefit or consideration from certain parties.
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WHEREAS, the Accountability, Conduct and Ethics Code of Allegheny County, contained within Article 1013 of the Administrative Code, sets forth guidelines for the accountability, conduct and ethics of Allegheny County; and
WHEREAS, the Ethics Code provides that public office is a public trust and that any effort to realize personal financial gain through public office is a violation of that trust; and
WHEREAS, integrity and transparency are crucial to an open, fair, democratic, ethical and informed government, such as Allegheny County, and Council wishes to strengthen the faith and confidence of the people of Allegheny County in their government; and
WHEREAS, Council desires to clarify §5-1013.09 of the Administrative Code to include language that would prohibit board members of the Allegheny County Authorities from soliciting or accepting a gift, loan, reward, promises of future employment, benefit or consideration;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby enacts as follows:
SECTION 1.
Article 1013 of Division 1 of the Code of Allegheny County is hereby amended as follows:
§5-1013.09. Standards of Conduct.
All covered persons shall set and follow an example of proper conduct that shall include the following:
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R. Gifts, loans, benefits, and considerations; accepting improper influence by members of boards of the Allegheny County authorities.
1. No member of any board of any County authority delineated in §5-203.01 shall solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, a gift, loan, reward, promise of future employment, benefit or consideration from:
a. A person or business having a financial relationship with the County or the Authority upon whose board the member sits;
b. A person or business whose operations or activities are regulated or inspected by the County or the Authority upon whose board the member sits;
c. A principal and/or attorney in proceedings in which the County or the Authority upon whose board the member sits is an adverse party; or
d. Any person or business where the performance or nonperformance of any official duty may be influenced or affected.
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SECTION 2. If any provision of this Ordinance shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance which shall be in full force and effect.