§ 808 — Boards of ethics

§ 808. Boards of ethics. 1. The governing body of any county may\nestablish a county board of ethics and appropriate moneys for\nmaintenance and personal services in connection therewith. The members\nof such board of ethics shall be appointed by such governing body except\nin the case of a county operating under an optional or alternative form\nof county government or county charter, in which case the members shall\nbe appointed by the county executive or county manager, as the case may\nbe, subject to confirmation by such governing body. Such board of ethics\nshall consist of at least three members, a majority of whom shall not be\nofficers or employees of such county or municipalities wholly or\npartially located in such county and at least one of whom shall be an\nelected or appointed officer or employee of the county or a municipality\nlocated within such county. The members of such board shall receive no\nsalary or compensation for their services as members of such board and\nshall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority.\n 2. The board shall render advisory opinions to officers and employees\nof municipalities wholly or partly within the county with respect to\nthis article and any code of ethics adopted pursuant hereto. Such\nadvisory opinions shall be rendered pursuant to the written request of\nany such officer or employee under such rules and regulations as the\nboard may prescribe and shall have the advice of counsel employed by the\nboard, or if none, the county attorney. In addition, it may make\nrecommendations with respect to the drafting and adoption of a code of\nethics or amendments thereto upon the request of the governing body of\nany municipality in the county.\n 3. The governing body of any municipality other than a county may\nestablish a local board of ethics and, where such governing body is so\nauthorized, appropriate moneys for maintenance and personal services in\nconnection therewith. A local board shall have all the powers and duties\nof and shall be governed by the same conditions as a county board of\nethics, except that it shall act only with respect to officers and\nemployees of the municipality that has established such board or of its\nagencies. The members of a local board shall be appointed by such person\nor body as may be designated by the governing body of the municipality\nto serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and such board\nshall consist of at least three members, a majority of whom are not\notherwise officers or employees of such municipality. Such board shall\ninclude at least one member who is an elected or appointed municipal\nofficer or employee.\n 4. The county board of ethics shall not act with respect to the\nofficers and employees of any municipality located within such county or\nagency thereof, where such municipality has established its own board of\nethics, except that the local board may at its option refer matters to\nthe county board.\n 5. A board of ethics of a political subdivision (as defined in section\neight hundred ten of this article) and of any other municipality, which\nis required by local law, ordinance or resolution to be, or which\npursuant to legal authority, in practice is, the repository for\ncompleted annual statements of financial disclosure shall file a\nstatement with the clerk of its municipality, that it is the authorized\nrepository for completed annual statements of financial disclosure.\n