19.59 Codes of ethics for local government officials, employees and candidates.

693 words·~3 min read·/wi/chapter-19/19-59

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)No local public official may use his or her public position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of himself or herself or his or her immediate family, or for an organization with which he or she is associated. A violation of this paragraph includes the acceptance of free or discounted admissions to a professional baseball or football game by a member of the district board of a local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229 or a local professional football stadium district created under subch. IV of ch. 229 . This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from using the title or prestige of his or her office to obtain campaign contributions that are permitted and reported as required by ch. 11 . This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from obtaining anything of value from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation or the department of tourism, as provided under s. 19.56

(f).

(b)No person may offer or give to a local public official, directly or indirectly, and no local public official may solicit or accept from any person, directly or indirectly, anything of value if it could reasonably be expected to influence the local public official’s vote, official actions or judgment, or could reasonably be considered as a reward for any official action or inaction on the part of the local public official. This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from engaging in outside employment.

(br)No local public official or candidate for local public office may, directly or by means of an agent, give, or offer or promise to give, or withhold, or offer or promise to withhold, his or her vote or influence, or promise to take or refrain from taking official action with respect to any proposed or pending matter in consideration of, or upon condition that, any other person make or refrain from making a political contribution, or provide or refrain from providing any service or other thing of value, to or for the benefit of a candidate, a political party, any committee registered under ch. 11 , or any person making a communication that contains a reference to a clearly identified local public official holding an elective office or to a candidate for local public office.

(c)Except as otherwise provided in par.

(d), no local public official may:

1. Take any official action substantially affecting a matter in which the official, a member of his or her immediate family, or an organization with which the official is associated has a substantial financial interest.

2. Use his or her office or position in a way that produces or assists in the production of a substantial benefit, direct or indirect, for the official, one or more members of the official’s immediate family either separately or together, or an organization with which the official is associated.

(d)Paragraph

(c)does not prohibit a local public official from taking any action concerning the lawful payment of salaries or employee benefits or reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses, or prohibit a local public official from taking official action with respect to any proposal to modify a county or municipal ordinance.

(f)Paragraphs

(a)to

(c)do not apply to the members of a local committee appointed under s. 289.33

(a)to negotiate with the owner or operator of, or applicant for a license to operate, a solid waste disposal or hazardous waste facility under s. 289.33 , with respect to any matter contained or proposed to be contained in a written agreement between a municipality and the owner, operator or applicant or in an arbitration award or proposed award that is applicable to those parties.

1. In this paragraph:

a. “District” means a local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229 or a local professional football stadium district created under subch. IV of ch. 229 .

b. “District board member” means a member of the district board of a district.