Maitland City Talk

As part of our commitment to become “A Community with Honorable Character” our City Council, at our Monday, April 22, City Council meeting, enthusiastically committed to the following oath:

As a member of the Maitland City Council, I acknowledge that as a city leader and Maitland city resident my role is to do my best to establish policy that will fulfill the best interests and needs of the residents of our community. I understand that my decisions affect the well-being of our community, now and in the future.

The residents and businesses of the City of Maitland are entitled to have fair, ethical and accountable local government. Such a government requires that public officials:

· Comply with both the letter and the spirit of the laws and policies affecting operations of the government.

· Be independent, impartial and fair in their judgment and actions.

· Use their public office for the public good, not for personal gain.

· Conduct public deliberations and processes openly, unless legally confidential, in an atmosphere of respect and civility.

To this end, the City of Maitland City Council has adopted this Code of Conduct to encourage public confidence in the integrity of local government and its fair and effective operation.

Therefore, I promise to:

Represent our city with honesty and integrity, and not advance my personal interests at the expense of my fellow residents. I recognize that stewardship of the public interest must be my principal concern. I shall work for the common good of all and not for any private or personal interest and I will endeavor to treat all persons, claims and transactions in a fair and equitable manner;

Adhere to and uphold the laws governing my conduct and that of our city, opposing all forms of corruption and governmental practices harmful to our community; These laws include, but are not limited to: the United States and Florida constitutions; the City of Maitland Charter, general City laws pertaining to conduct, election campaigns, financial disclosures, employer responsibilities and open processes of government; and City ordinance and policies;

Fulfill my duties in accordance with the processes and rules of order established by the City Council;

Protect the rights and dignity of all affected by our city, opposing discrimination and exploitation. I shall refrain from abusive conduct, verbal attacks upon the character or motives of other members of the City Council, boards, commissions, committees, staff or the public;

Inform myself of public issues, listen attentively to public discussion before the Council and focus on the business at hand;

Make decisions based upon the merits and substance of the matter at hand;

Make it my responsibility to publicly share substantive information that is relevant to a matter under consideration that may be received from sources outside of the public decision-making processes;

Assure independence and impartiality on behalf of the public good. I shall not use my official position to influence government decisions in which I have a financial interest where I have an organizational responsibility or a personal relationship that would present a conflict of interest under applicable State law;

Not take advantage of services or opportunities not available to the general public for personal gain by virtue of my public office; that is I shall refrain from accepting gifts, favors or promises of future benefits that might compromise my independent judgment or action or give the appearance of being compromised;

Respect and preserve the confidentiality of information provided to me concerning the confidential matters of the City. I shall neither disclose confidential information without proper legal authorization nor use such information to advance my financial or private interests;

Respect and adhere to the Council-Manager structure of the City of Maitland City Government as provided by State and local law;

Uphold the rights of future generations to advance their standard of living in a healthy community;

Invest in developing myself, our citizens, and our city to create sustainable and inclusive prosperity;

Continue to uphold the high ethical standards that are the foundation of the City of Maitland.

In making this oath, I will remain accountable to myself and our citizens for my actions for upholding these standards.

This oath I make freely, and upon my honor.

My hope is that this will inspire other municipalities to create and commit to a similar oath. As we all know, honorable character is needed so badly in this country. We, as public officials, need to set the example of “Change Starts with Me.”