TOWN OF MILFORD BOARD OF SELECTMEN POLICY NO. 2006-04

January 9, 2007

At a meeting of the Milford Board of Selectmen held on Tuesday, December 26, 2006, the Board of Selectmen voted to adopt the following Policy regarding Town Officials and Town Employee Ethics:

Definitions.

1. "Town official" means any elected Town official or individual appointed by the Board of Selectmen or the Town Moderator to serve on a Town board, committee, subcommittee or commission.
   
   
2. Town employee" means any individual employed by the Town of Milford.
   
   
3. "Conflict of interest" means a situation, circumstance, or financial interest, which has the potential to cause a private interest to interfere with the proper exercise of a public duty.
   
   
4. Gift" or "Contribution" means any money, discount, or thing of value received in excess of $50 or in excess of $250 in aggregate from any single source during any calendar year. "Gift" shall not include contributions as defined in RSA 664; a commercially reasonable loan made in the ordinary course of business; meals and beverages consumed in the course of official business; ceremonial gifts or awards which have insignificant monetary value; unsolicited gifts of nominal value or trivial items of informational value; reasonable expenses for food, travel, and lodging for an in-state meeting at which a Town official or Town employee participates in a panel or a speaking engagement; gifts of tickets or free admission extended to a Town official to attend charitable or political events, if the purpose of such gift or admission is a courtesy customarily extended to the office; gifts that are purely private and personal in nature; or gifts from relatives by blood or marriage, or a member of the same household.

Principles of Public Service.

1. Public Service as a Public Trust - Town officials and Town employees should treat their positions as a public trust, only using the powers and resources of their positions to advance public interests, and not to attain personal benefits or pursue any other private interest incompatible with the public good.
   
   
2. Principle of Independent Objective Judgment - Town officials and Town employees should employ independent objective judgment in performing their duties, deciding all matters on the merits free from conflicts of interest and both real and apparent improper influences.
   
   
3. Principle of Accountability - Town officials and Town employees should assure that government is conducted openly, equitably and honorably in a manner that permits the citizenry to make informed judgments and hold Town officials and Town employees accountable.

Public Confidence.

Town officials and Town employees shall conduct themselves so as to maintain public confidence in their profession, their local government, and in their performance of the public trust.

Impression of Influence.

Town officials and Town employees shall conduct their official and personal affairs in such a manner that they cannot be improperly influenced, and so as to avoid any appearance of improper influence, in the performance of their official duties.

Conflict of Interest.

Town officials and Town employees shall avoid conflicts of interest. Town officials and Town employees shall not participate in any matter in which they, or their spouse or dependents, have a private interest which may directly or indirectly affect or influence the performance of their duties. In any instance where there is a conflict of interest or there could be the appearance of a conflict of interest, the Town official or Town employee shall disclose the circumstances prior to the time the matter arises for official consideration or decision. Such disclosures by Town officials shall be made to the board, committee, subcommittee or commission on which the official serves, and disclosures by Town employees shall be made to the Town Administrator.

Misuse of Position.

No Town official or Town employee shall disclose or use confidential or privileged information for personal benefit or for financial gain. Town officials and Town employees shall not use their governmental positions to secure privileges or advantages for themselves, which are not generally available to Town officials or Town employees, or to improperly secure governmental privileges or advantages for others.

Acceptance and Giving of Gifts.

Any Town official and any Town official's spouse or dependent, and any Town employee and any Town employee's spouse or dependent, who gives, solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept a gift from a person or entity who is subject to any matter or action pending before or contemplated by the Town official, Town employee, or by the governmental body with which that individual is affiliated shall disclose the gift prior to the time the matter or action arises for official consideration or decision. Disclosure by Town officials shall be made to the board, committee, subcommittee or commission on which the official serves, and disclosure by Town employees shall be made to the Town Administrator. Disclosure made by Town officials or Town employees shall be recorded in the official minutes of all meetings at which the matter or action is discussed or considered. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit gifts made to the Town of Milford and accepted in accordance with the law.

Supplemental Policies.

In addition to this Ethics Policy, each Town board, committee, subcommittee and commission, and each Town department, may promulgate a supplemental ethics policy to address issues specific to that organization. In the event of a conflict, the provisions of this Ethics Policy shall supersede any such supplemental policy; provided however, that for those Town of Milford departments or agencies who have established Codes of Conduct or Codes of Ethics with provisions that are more stringent than those contained herein, then those more stringent provisions shall apply.