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Motion of the Council of Allegheny County censuring Council Member Chuck McCullough for remarks made during the course of the November 4, 2009 Regular Meeting of Council which, in the judgment of Council, violate the standards established by the Allegheny County Ethics Code.
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WHEREAS, the Ethics Code of Allegheny County clearly establishes that all Council Members are to abide by the Code's standards for honor and integrity, and “[d]edicate themselves to the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public relationships in order to merit the respect and confidence of covered persons, and the public;' and
WHEREAS, Article II, Rule M.9. of Council's Rules permits the censure of Council Members by motion for violating Council's own rules regarding decorum in the course of Council proceedings; and
WHEREAS, it is the judgment of Council that this Rule was not intended to foreclose the availability of the censure motion for violation of other ethical or legal standards of behavior that are applicable to the Council Members in the course of conducting County business; and
WHEREAS, during the course of Council's Regular Meeting of November 4, 2009, Allegheny County Council Member Charles McCullough engaged in debate on an amendment that he had offered to Bill No. 5154-09, authorizing the sale of certain County property to a private development consortium; and
WHEREAS, in the course of this debate, Council Member McCullough made certain representations regarding the effect of and ability of Council to amend or terminate the provisions of the amendment he offered that are not descriptive of the provisions of that amendment; and
WHEREAS, most notable among these representations are those appearing on Page 16 of the attached excerpt from the draft minutes of the November 4 Regular Meeting (Attachment 1), in which Mr. McCullough specifically asserts that revenues from the fund created by his amendment could be used for any operational pu...
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