Earlier this year, the ICMA Committee on Professional Conduct launched a structured review of the ICMA Code of Ethics beginning with Tenet 7. Ensuring that the ICMA Code of Ethics is relevant to the profession is a key responsibility of the ICMA Executive Board and the Committee on Professional Conduct. The committee started with Tenet 7 because the principle of political neutrality outlined in the tenet is the foundation for the profession. In addition, it is the tenet that over time has generated the most inquiries and ethics violations.
Over 350 members provided the committee with feedback on the relevancy to the profession of Tenet 7 and its guidelines in discussions at regional summits, state meetings, a webinar, and an online forum. The committee considered that feedback along with the issues raised by members in their inquiries to ICMA. The outcome is a series of recommendations that the committee will submit to the ICMA Executive Board for its consideration in September.
In developing the recommendations, the committee readily acknowledged the enormity of the challenge. Setting a uniform ethical standard for the profession is difficult. ICMA members working across the United States and internationally share common experiences and challenges, but do so while working in significantly different environments. Balancing a member’s personal interest in issue advocacy or political activity against the obligation of the profession to promote and maintain public trust in our membership is not easy.
The ICMA Committee on Professional Conduct is proposing a series of changes and additions to the guidelines on political activity outlined in the ICMA Code of Ethics. All members are invited to provide their feedback on the proposed changes before they are presented to the ICMA Executive Board for consideration in September.
Members are encouraged to review the guidelines and provide their feedback to the committee by August 30. Feedback is being collected through a short survey that gives participants the opportunity to indicate their support or opposition to the proposal and to make comments. To access this feedback mechanism, click here. Members with questions can contact Martha Perego, ICMA director of ethics, at mperego@icma.org
ICMA Committee on Professional Conduct Recommendations
Recommendation #1: Retain the existing language of Tenet 7.
Tenet 7. Refrain from all political activities which undermine public confidence in professional administrators. Refrain from participation in the election of the members of the employing legislative body.
Recommendation #2: Amend the guidelines to make them clear and to ensure that they are relevant to the profession; add a guideline to address a member’s ethical obligation with regard to personal advocacy of issues; and retain the existing guidelines on Elections and Elections of Elected Executives.
The new proposed set of guidelines is as follows. For ease of reviewing, language to be deleted is noted with a line through the text and new language is underlined.
Elections of the Governing Body. Members should maintain a reputation for serving equally and impartially all members of the governing body of the local government they serve, regardless of party. To this end, they should not engage in active participation participate in the election campaign on behalf of or in opposition to candidates for the governing body.
Elections of Elected Executives. Members should not engage in the election campaign of any candidate for mayor or elected county executive.
Running for Office. Members shall not run for elected office or become involved in political activities related to running for elected office, or accept appointment to an elected office. They shall not seek political endorsements, financial contributions or engage in other campaign activities.
Elections. Members share with their fellow citizens the right and responsibility to vote and to voice their opinion on public issues. However, in order not to impair their effectiveness on behalf of the local governments they serve, they shall not participate in political activities to support the candidacy of individuals running for any city, county, special district, school, state or federal offices. Specifically, they shall not endorse candidates, make financial contributions, sign or circulate petitions, or participate in fund-raising activities for individuals seeking or holding elected office.
Elections in the Council-Manager Plan Form of Government. Members may assist in preparing and presenting materials that explain the council-manager form of government to the public prior to a form of government election. If assistance is required by another community, members may respond. All activities regarding ballot issues should be conducted within local regulations and in a professional manner.
Presentation of Issues. Members may assist their governing body in the presentation of presenting issues involved in referenda such as bond issues, and annexations, and similar other matters that affect the government entity’s operations and/or fiscal capacity.
Personal Advocacy of Issues. Members should use their best judgment in advocating for issues of personal interest in order to maintain the complete confidence of their community and governing body. Members should not conduct personal issue advocacy if it conflicts with the stated policies of the governing body. Members should use care in advocating for an issue or affiliating with an organization that advocates for an issue if it is likely to give the impression that the advocacy or affiliation improperly influences the performance of their official duties.
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