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Home My WebLink About00-555 ShrawderDale Shrawder 110 McConnell Road New Wilmington, PA 16142 STATE ETHICS COMMISSION 309 FINANCE BUILDING P.O. BOX 11470 HARRISBURG, PA 17108 -1470 (717) 783 -1610 1- 800 - 932 -0936 ADVICE OF COUNSEL March 28, 2000 FAX: (717) 787 -0806 • Web Site: www.ethics.state.pa.us • e -mail: ethics @state.pa -us 00-555 Re: Conflict; Public Official /Employee; School Board; Member; Vice - President; Negotiations Committee; Grievance Settlement; Union; Members; Immediate Family; Sister -In -Law; Niece. Dear Mr. Shrawder: This responds to your letter of February 24, 2000 by which you requested advice from the State Ethics Commission. Issue: Whether the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act ") presents any prohibition or restrictions upon a school board member as to serving on an ad -hoc committee to negotiate a grievance settlement where the school board member's sister -in -law and niece are members of the union which has filed the grievance complaint. Facts: You are a Member and the Vice - President of the West Middlesex Area School Board ( "School Board "). West Middlesex is a small district in rural Mercer County. You were recently appointed to an ad -hoc committee comprised of the School Board President, Vice - President, Personnel Chairman, and a fourth School Board member. The purpose of the Committee is to negotiate a grievance settlement with the West Middlesex Education Association. Your sister -in -law and niece are members of the union which has filed the grievance complaint. You ask whether you would have a conflict of interest in serving on the Committee to negotiate a grievance settlement. Discussion: It is initially noted that pursuant to Sections 1107(10) and (1 1) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§1107(10), (11), advisories are issued to the requestor based upon the facts which the requestor has submitted. In issuing the advisory based upon the facts which the requestor has submitted, the Commission does not engage in an independent investigation of the facts, nor does it speculate as to facts which have not been submitted. It is the burden of the requestor to truthfully disclose all of the material facts relevant to the inquiry. 65 Pa.C.S. §§1107(10), (1 1). An advisory only affords a defense to the extent the requestor has truthfully disclosed all of the material facts. Shrawder, 00 -555 March 28, 2000 Page 2 As Vice - President of the West Middlesex Area School Board ( "School Board "), you are a public official as that term is defined in the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), and hence you are subject to the provisions of that Act. Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act provides: Section 1103. Restricted activities. (a) Conflict of interest. - -No public official or public employee shall engage in conduct that constitutes a conflict of interest. 65 Pa.C.S. §1103(a). The following terms that pertain to Section 1103(a) are defined in the Ethics Act as follows: Section 1102. 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. The term 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. "Immediate family." A parent, spouse, child, brother or sister. 65 Pa.C.S. §1102. Section 1103(j) of the Ethics Act provides as follows: Section 1103. Restricted activities. (j) Voting conflict. - -Where voting conflicts are not otherwise addressed by the Constitution of Pennsylvania or by any law, rule, regulation, order or ordinance, the following procedure shall be employed. Any public official or public employee who in the discharge of his official duties would be required to vote on a matter that would Shrawder, 00 -555 March 28, 2000 Page 3 result in a conflict of interest shall abstain from voting and, prior to the vote being taken, publicly announce and disclose the nature of his interest as a public record in a written memorandum filed with the person responsible for recording the minutes of the meeting at which the vote is taken, provided that whenever a governing body would be unable to take any action on a matter before it because the number of members of the body required to abstain from voting under the provisions of this section makes the majority or other legally required vote of approval unattainable, then such members shall be permitted to vote if disclosures are made as otherwise provided herein. In the case of a three - member governing body of a political subdivision, where one member has abstained from voting as a result of a conflict of interest, and the remaining two members of the governing body have cast opposing votes, the member who has abstained shall be permitted to vote to break the tie vote if disclosure is made as otherwise provided herein. 65 Pa.C.S. §1103(j). In each instance of a conflict, Section 1103(j) requires the public official /employee to abstain and to publicly disclose the abstention and reasons for same, both orally and by filing a written memorandum to that effect with the person recording the minutes or supervisor. In the event that the required abstention results in the inability of the governmental body to take action because a majority is unattainable due to the abstention(s) from conflict under the Ethics Act, then voting is permissible provided the disclosure requirements noted above are followed. See, Mlakar, Advice 91- 523 -S. In applying the above provisions of the Ethics Act to the circumstances which you have submitted, pursuant to Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act, 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 immediate family is associated. Since the term "immediate family" is defined to include a parent, spouse, child, brother or sister and since your sister -in -law and niece are not in a familial relationship delineated above, Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act would not prohibit you from serving on the ad -hoc Committee to negotiate a grievance settlement with the West Middlesex Education Association. Baker, Opinion 89 -016. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Act; the applicability of any other statute, code, ordinance, regulation or other code of conduct other than the Ethics Act has not been considered in that they do not involve an interpretation of the Ethics Act. Conclusion: As Vice - President of the West Middlesex Area School Board, you are a public official subject to the provisions of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), Act 93 of 1998, Chapter 11. Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act would not restrict you from serving on the ad -hoc Committee to negotiate a grievance Shrewder, 00 -555 March 28, 2000 Page 4 settlement with the West Middlesex Education Association when your sister -in -law and niece are members of the union which has filed the grievance complaint because your sister-in-law and niece are not members of your immediate family as that term is defined under the Ethics Act. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Act. Pursuant to Section 1107(11), an 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, provided 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