Agenda - 12-12-2006-5j - Laserfiche WebLink

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15 extended family, or a person with whom or business with which the public servant is associated. A public. servant shall not improperly use or improperly disclose any confidential information. Section 5. ®ther rules of conduct. (a) A public servant shall make a due and diligent effort before taking any action, including voting or participating in discussions with other public servants on a board on which the public servant also serves, to determine whether the public servant has a conflict of interest. If the public servant is unable to determine whether or not a conflict of interest may exist, the public servant has a duty to inquire of the County attorney as to that conflict. (b) A public servant shall continually monitor, evaluate, and manage the public servant's personal, financial, and professional affairs to ensure the absence of conflicts of interest. (c) A public servant shall obey all other civil laws, administrative requirements, and criminal statutes governing conduct of County government applicable to appointees . and employees. Section 6. Publac servant participation in official action. (a) Except as permitted by subsection (d) of this Section and under Section 8 of. this Article, and, with respect to the County Board of Commissioners, consistent with G.S. § 153A-44, no public servant acting in that capacity, authorized to perform an official .action requiring the exercise of discretion, shall knowingly participate in an official action by the County if the public servant, a member of the public servant's extended family, or a business with which the public servant is associated, has an economic interest in, or a reasonably foreseeable benefit from, the matter under consideration, which would impair the public servant's independence of judgment or from which it could reasonably be inferred that the interest or benefit would influence the public servant's participation in the official action. A potential benefit includes a detriment to a business competitor of (i) the public servant, (ii) a member of the public servant's extended family, or (iii) a business with which 'the public servant is associated. (b) A public servant described in subsection (a) of this Section shall abstain from taking any verbal or written action in furtherance of the official action. The public servant shall submit in writing to the County the reasons for the abstention. When the action relates to the responsibilities of a board, .the abstention shall be recorded in the board's minutes. (c) A public servant shall take appropriate steps, under the particular circumstances and considering the type of proceeding involved, to remove himself or herself to the extent necessary, to protect the public interest and comply with this Policy, from any proceeding in which the public servant's impartiality might reasonably be questioned due to the public servant's familial, personal, or financial relationship with a participant in the proceeding. A participant includes (i) an owner, shareholder, partner, member or manager of a limited liability company, employee, agent, officer, or director of a business, organization, or group involved in the proceeding, or (ii) an organization or group that has some specific, unique, and substantial interest in the proceeding. 15