§ 1993 — Prohibited conduct

(a) Directing unethical conduct. A municipal officer shall not direct any individual to act in a manner that would:
(1) benefit a municipal officer in a manner related to the officer’s conflict of interest;
(2) create a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest for the officer or for the directed individual; or
(3) otherwise violate the Municipal Code of Ethics as described in this chapter.
(b) Preferential treatment. A municipal officer shall act impartially and not unduly favor or prejudice any person in the course of conducting official business. An officer shall not give, or represent an ability to give, undue preference or special treatment to any person because of the person’s wealth, position, or status or because of a person’s personal relationship with the officer, unless otherwise permitted or required by State or federal law.
(c) Misuse of position. A municipal officer shall not use the officer’s official position for the personal or financial gain of the officer, a member of the officer’s immediate family or household, or the officer’s business associate.
(d) Misuse of information. A municipal officer shall not use nonpublic or confidential information acquired during the course of official business for personal or financial gain of the officer or for the personal or financial gain of a member of the officer’s immediate family or household or of an officer’s business associate.
(e) Misuse of government resources. A municipal officer shall not make use of a town’s, city’s, or village’s materials, funds, property, personnel, facilities, or equipment, or permit another person to do so, for any purpose other than for official business unless the use is expressly permitted or required by State law; ordinance; or a written agency, departmental, or institutional policy or rule. An officer shall not engage in or direct another person to engage in work other than the performance of official duties during working hours, except as permitted or required by law or a written agency, departmental, or institutional policy or rule.
(f) Gifts.
(1) No person shall offer or give to a municipal officer or candidate, or the officer’s or candidate’s immediate family, anything of value, including a gift, loan, political contribution, reward, or promise of future employment based on any understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the municipal officer or candidate would be, or had been, influenced thereby.
(2) A municipal officer or candidate shall not solicit or accept anything of value, including a gift, loan, political contribution, reward, or promise of future employment based on any understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the municipal officer or candidate would be or had been influenced thereby.
(3) Nothing in subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection shall be construed to apply to any campaign contribution that is lawfully made to a candidate or candidate’s committee pursuant to 17 V.S.A. chapter 61 or to permit any activity otherwise prohibited by 13 V.S.A. chapter 21.
(g) Unauthorized commitments. A municipal officer shall not make unauthorized commitments or promises of any kind purporting to bind the municipality unless otherwise permitted by law.
(h) Benefit from contracts. A municipal officer shall not benefit from any contract entered into by the municipality and the officer, the officer’s immediate family, or an associated business of the officer or the officer’s immediate family, unless:
(1) the benefit is not greater than that of other individuals generally affected by the contract;
(2) the contract is a contract for employment with the municipality;
(3) the contract was awarded through an open and public process of competitive bidding; or
(4) the total value of the contract is less than $2,000.00. (Added 2023, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 22, eff. January 1, 2025.)