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HomeMy WebLinkAbout97-522 BohnDr. Robert G. Bohn Superintendent Mifflin County School District 201 Eighth Street - Highland Park Lewistown, PA 17044-1197 Dear Dr. Bohn: STATE ETHICS COMMISSION 309 FINANCE BUILDING P.O. BOX 11470 HARRISBURG, PA 17108 -1470 TELEPHONE (717) 783 -1610 ADVICE OF COUNSEL February 10, 1997 Section 3(a) of the Ethics Law provides: 97 -522 Re: Simultaneous Service, School Board Member, Part -time Employee of Joint Operating Committee of Area Vocational - Technical School. This responds to your letter of January 7, 1997, in which you requested advice from the State Ethics Commission. Issue: Whether the Public Official and Employee Ethics Law imposes any prohibition or restrictions upon a School Board Member from also being employed part- time by the Joint Operating Committee of the Area Vocational - Technical School. Facts: As the Superintendent of the Mifflin County School District (District) on behalf of Beth D. Reifsnyder ( Reifsnyder), a Member of the District School Board, you request an advisory as to Reifsnyder's anticipated part -time employment by the Joint Operating Committee of the Juniata - Mifflin Counties Area Vocational - Technical School in Lewistown. Two school districts - Juniata County and Mifflin County - are involved in the Juniata - Mifflin Counties Area Vocational - Technical School. You state that a PSBA attorney has advised that a vo -tech school is a separate entity. In addition, you reference the Public School Code which in your opinion seems to permit a school director to be employed by a vo -tech operating committee. Your specific inquiry is whether Reifsnyder may be employed by the Joint Operating Committee of the Vo -Tech School while serving as a Member of the Mifflin County School Board. Discussion: As a Member of the Mifflin County School Board, Reifsnyder is a "public official" as that term is defined in the Ethics Law and hence she is subject to the provisions of the Ethics Law. 65 P.S. §402; 51 Pa. Code § 1 1 .1 . Bohn /Reifsnyder, 97 -522 February 10, 1997 Page 2 Section 3. Restricted Activities. (a) No public official or public employee shall engage in conduct that constitutes a conflict of interest. The following terms are defined under the Ethics Law: Section 2. Definitions. "Conflict or conflict of interest." Use by a public official or public employee of the authority of his office or employment or any confidential information received through his holding public office or employment for the private pecuniary benefit of himself, a member of his immediate family or a business with which he or a member of his immediate family is associated. "Conflict" or "conflict of interest" does not include an action having a de minimis economic impact or which affects to the same degree a class consisting of the general public or a subclass consisting of an industry, occupation or other group which includes the public official or public employee, a member of his immediate family or a business with which he or a member of his immediate family is associated. "Authority of office or employment." The actual power provided by law, the exercise of which is necessary to the performance of duties and responsibilities unique to a particular public office or position of public employment. In addition, Sections 3(b) and 3(c) of the Ethics Law provide in part that no person shall offer to a public official /employee anything of monetary value and no public official /employee shall solicit or accept anything of monetary value based upon the understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the public official /employee would be influenced thereby. In applying the above provisions of the Ethics Law to the question of simultaneous service, there does not appear to be any real possibility of a private pecuniary benefit or inherent conflict arising if Reifsnyder were to serve both as a public official /employee and as an employee of the Vo -Tech School's Joint Operating Committee. Basically, the Ethics Law does not state that it is inherently incompatible for a public official /employee to serve or be employed by a Vo -Tech School. The main prohibition under the Ethics Law and Opinions of the Ethics Commission is that one may not serve the interests of two persons, groups, or entities whose interests may be inherently adverse. Smith Opinion, 89 -010. In the situation outlined above, Reifsnyder would not be serving entities with interests which are inherently adverse to each other. Turning to the question of conflict of interest, pursuant to Section 3(a) of the Ethics Law, a public official /public employee is prohibited from using the authority of public office /employment or confidential information received by holding such a public position for the private pecuniary benefit of the public official /public employee himself, any member of his immediate family, or a business with which he or a member of his Bohn /Reifsnvder, 97 -522 February 10, 1997 Page 3 immediate family is associated. Should a situation arise where the use of authority of public office /employment or confidential information received by holding the above public positions could result in a prohibited private pecuniary benefit, a conflict of interest would arise. In each instance of a conflict of interest, Reifsnyder would be required to fully abstain and to publicly announce and disclose the abstention and the reasons for same in a written memorandum filed with the appropriate person (supervisor or secretary who keeps the minutes). If such a situation would arise, additional advice may be sought from the Commission. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Law; the applicability of any other statute, code, ordinance, regulation or other code of conduct other than the Ethics Law has not been considered in that they do not involve an interpretation of the Ethics Law. Conclusion: As a Member of the Mifflin County School Board, Reifsnyder is a "public official" subject to the provisions of the Ethics Law. As a public official /employee, Reifsnyder may, consistent with Section 3(a) of the Ethics Law, simultaneously serve in the positions of School Board Member and Joint Operating Committee employee, subject to the restrictions, conditions and qualifications set forth above. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed course of conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Law. Pursuant to Section 7(11), 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 the requestor has disclosed truthfully all the material facts and committed the acts complained of in reliance on the Advice given. This letter is a public record and will be made available as such. Finally, if you disagree with this Advice or if you have any reason to challenge same, you may appeal the Advice to the full Commission. A personal appearance before the Commission will be scheduled and a formal Opinion will be issued by the Commission. Any such appeal must be in writing and must be actually received at the Commission within thirty (30) days of the date of this Advice pursuant to 51 Pa. Code §13.2(h). The appeal may be received at the Commission by hand delivery, United States mail, delivery service, or by FAX transmission (717 -787- 0806). Failure to file such an appeal at the Commission within thirty (30) days may result in the dismissal of the appeal. Vincent J. Dopko Chief Counsel 4