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HomeMy WebLinkAbout97-517 PrentissMarc S. Drier, Esquire 227 Allegheny Street Jersey Shore, PA 17740 Dear Mr. Drier: STATE ETHICS COMMISSION 309 FINANCE BUILDING P.O. BOX 11470 HARRISBURG, PA 17108 -1470 TELEPHONE (717) 783 -1610 ADVICE OF COUNSEL January 30, 1997 97 -517 Re: Conflict, Public Official /Employee, Township, Auditor, Immediate Family, Daughter of Township Secretary, Spouse of Township Employee, This responds to your letters of December 11 and December 27, 1996 in which you requested advice from the State Ethics Commission. Issue: Whether the Public Official and Employee Ethics Law presents any prohibition or restrictions upon an elected Township Auditor whose mother or spouse is an employee (but not a Supervisor) of the Township. Facts: As the Solicitor of Piatt Township, Lycoming County, you request an advisory on behalf of Nancy Marshall (Marshall), Deanna Fink (Fink), and Jacquene Prentiss (Prentiss), who serve as Piatt Township's elected Auditors. Your specific inquiries are as follows: 1. Is there an impermissible conflict of interest where an elected Auditor, living in a separate household, is the adult daughter of the Township's appointed compensated secretary? The secretary serves as an employee, and is not a supervisor or any other elected or appointed official. The supervisors determine the secretary's compensation. 2. Is ;here an impermissible conflict of interest where an elected Auditor is married to a compensated Township employee (Safety Coordinator and Roadworker)? The Supervisors determine the employee's compensation. Prier /Marshall. Fink. Prentiss 97 -517 January 30, 1997 Page 2 Discussion: It is initially noted that pursuant to Sections 7(10) and 7(11) of the Ethics Law, 65 P.S. § §407(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 P.S. § §407(10), (11). An advisory only affords a defense to the extent the requestor has truthfully disclosed all of the material facts. As elected Auditors for Piatt Township, Marshall, Fink, and Prentiss are public officials as that term is defined under the Ethics Law, and hence they are subject to the provisions of that law. Section 3(a) of the Ethics Law provides: 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 in the Ethics Law as follows: 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. Drier /Marshall. Fink, Prentiss, 97 -517 January 30, 1997 Page 3 "Immediate family." A parent, spouse, child, brother or sister. 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 judgement of the public official /employee would be influenced thereby. Reference is made to these provisions of the law not to imply that there has been or will be any transgression thereof but merely to provide a complete response to the question presented. Section 3(j) of the Ethics Law provides as follows: Section 3. Restricted activities (j) 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 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 goveming 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. Drier /Marshall. Fink. Prentiss 97 -517 January 30, 1997 Page 4 If a conflict exists, Section 3(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 govemmental body to take action because a majority is unattainable due to the abstention(s) from conflict under the Ethics Law, then in that event participation is permissible provided the disclosure requirements noted above are followed. See, Mlakar, Advice 91- 523 -S. In applying the above provisions of the Ethics Law to the circumstances which you have submitted, 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 immediate family is associated. Clearly, a mother or spouse is a member of immediate family as defined in the Ethics Law. A conflict of interest would arise for an elected Auditor as to auditing particular records involving an immediate family member other than payroll records and the like as to the compensation which has been set by the Supervisors. For example, a conflict would exist as to auditing records for the reimbursement of expenses to the immediate family member. In each instance of a conflict, the Auditor would be required to abstain from participation as to the audit of that particular matter and to satisfy the disclosure requirements of Section 3(j) as set forth above. The fact that a conflict of interest may arise, however, would not preclude the Auditor from serving in his or her elected office. 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. Specifically not addressed herein is the applicability of the Second Class Township Code. Conclusion: As elected Auditors for Piatt Township, Marshall, Fink, and Prentiss are public officials subject to the provisions of the Ethics Law. A conflict of interest would arise for an elected Auditor as to auditing particular records involving an immediate family member other than payroll records and the like as to the compensation which has been set by the Supervisors. In each instance of a conflict, the Auditor would be required to abstain from participation as to the audit of that particular matter and to satisfy the disclosure requirements of Section 3(j) as set forth above. The fact that a conflict of interest may arise, however, would not preclude the Auditor from serving in his or her elected office. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Law. Drier/Marshall. Fink. Prentiss, 97 -517 January 30, 1997 Page 5 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