HomeMy WebLinkAbout79-523 FultonNatalie Fulton, President
New Hope Borough Council
11 West Mechanic Street
New Hope, PA 18938
FACTS:
ISSUE:
DISCUSSION:
STATE ETHICS COMMISSION
HARRISBURG. PA.
September 11, 1979
ADVICE OF CHIEF COUNSEL
Advice Number 79 -523
RE: Public official also employed in ministerial capacity.
Borough council service and school district employment.
Natalie Fulton is an elected official of New Hope
Borough Council. She is also a secretary to the principal
of the New Hope - Solebury High School.
Can a member of a borough council also serve as
secretary to a high school principal?
Elected officials are public officials as defined by
the Act. A secretary to a high school principal at $4 per
hour is serving in a ministerial capacity, and is not a public
employee as defined by the Act.
The New Hope - Solebury School Board and the New Hope
Borough Council are two independent bodies whose geographical
jurisdiction partially overlap. Unless the New Hope Borough
Council would ever consider the salary of the secretary to
the high school principal, there is no potential for any
appearance of a conflict.
A personal appearance before the Commission and a
formal opinion will be issued upon your request, if you feel
this reply does not suffice.
Pursuant to Section 7(9)(ii), this advice is a complete
defense in any enforcement proceeding initiated by the
Commission, and evidence of good faith conduct in any other
civil or criminal proceeding providing all the material facts
have been truthfully disclosed and the acts complained of are
in reliance on this advice.
NATALIE FULTON
September 11, 1979
page 2
CONCLUSION:
There is no conflict of interest of an elected official
of a borough council also serving as a secretary to a high
school principal.
David Rittenhouse Morrison