Conflict of Interest Provisions
The City maintains a commitment to conducting business according to the highest achievable ethical standards. Recognizing that ethical dilemmas may arise, and that after giving careful consideration to competing public, personal and/or private interests public officials must make difficult choices, the Council has adopted an ethical code of conduct.
There are numerous sources of conflicts of interest that may require a Council member, commissioner, committee member or designated employee to disqualify themselves from participating in decision making. The Political Reform Act (PRA) controls financial conflicts of interest of public officials.
The PRA is one of the most complicated laws affecting local government. This law is implemented and enforced by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), which has issued comprehensive implementation regulations. For a public official to understand the PRA's impact on their actions, it is suggested that public officials discuss the law and any potential conflicts with the City Attorney or a private attorney.
In general, public officials are prohibited from making, participating in, or in any way attempting to use their official position to influence a governmental decision in which they know or have reason to know they have a financial interest (Government Code § 87100; 2 California Code of Regulations § 18700, 18702-18702.4). A "public official" is defined as including every member, officer, employee or consultant of the state or local government agency (Government Code § 83048; 2 California Code of Regulations § 18700).