AG 1996 11 18 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

CANON FIVE A County Commissioner Shall Conduct the Affairs of the Board in an Open and Public Manner County commissioners must be aware of the letter and intent of the State's Open Meetings Law, and conduct the affairs of the Board of County Commissioners consistent with the letter and spirit of that law and consistent with the need to inspire and maintain public confidence in the integrity and fairness of county govemment and the orifice of county commissioner. Consistent with this goal of preserving public trust, county commissioners should be aware of the need for discretion in deliberations when the lack of discretion would pose a threat to the resources of the county, to the reputation of current or potential county employees, to orderly and responsible decision-making, to the integrity of other governmental processes or to other legitimate interests of the county. CANON SIX A County Commissioner Shall Regulate His or Her Extra-Governmental Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict With His or Her Official Duties County commissioners shall inform themselves concerning campaign finance, conflict of interest and other appropriate state and federal laws and shall scrupulously comply with the provisions of such laws. County commissioners shall refrain from financial and business dealings that tend to reflect adversely on the Board or on county govemment or to interfere with the proper performance of official duties. County commissioners shall manage their personal financial interests to minimize the number of cases in which they must ask to be excused from voting on matters coming before the Board. Information acquired by county commissioners in their official capacity shall not be used or disclosed in financial dealings or for any other purpose not related to official duties. CANON SEVEN A County Commissioner Shall Refrain from Political Activity Inappropriate to His or Her Office County commissioners have a civic responsibility to support good government by every available means, to continue to inform and educate the citizenry about the afl'airs and processes of county government, and to make themselves available to citizens of the county so that they may ascertain and respond to the needs of the community. In doing so, county commissioners may and should join or affiliate with civic organizations whether partisan or non-partisan, may and should attend political meetings, may and should advocate and support the principles or policies of civic or political organizations consistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States and North Carolina.