Ethics Board
Purpose:
(a) There is hereby created an ethics board to consist of five members; one supervisor, one county official and three citizens, all appointed by the chairperson of the county board of supervisors, subject to confirmation by the county board. Supervisor or county board member shall be a two-year appointment and will coincide with county board supervisor election years with appointments to take effect in April. The term of the county official shall be two years, running concurrently with the term of the county board supervisor member.
(b) The citizen members shall be chosen from the private sector and shall not be affiliated with county government in any capacity, because of employment, appointment or election. The terms of office of these private citizens shall be three years, but of the citizens first appointed, one shall be appointed for one year, one shall be appointed for two years, and one shall be appointed for three years.
(c) The ethics board shall elect its own chairperson and vice-chairperson, and the county corporation counsel shall furnish the ethics board with whatever legal assistance is necessary to carry out its functions. If any member of the ethics board petitions the ethics board for a hearing and advice regarding his own conduct, such member shall not be eligible to consider the matter. An alternate for that issue shall be appointed by the county board chairperson with the advice of the first and second vice-chairperson, to substitute therefor when the need arises.
(d) The ethics board may make recommendation to the county board with respect to amendments to this Code of Ethics.
(e) Any person governed by this article may apply in writing to the ethics board for an advisory opinion and shall be guided by any opinion rendered. The applicant shall present his interpretation of the facts at issue and of the applicability of the provisions of this article before the advisory opinion is rendered. All opinions shall be in writing and adopted by the board by resolution. The board's deliberations and action upon such applications shall be in meetings not open to the public but notice of such meetings shall be given pursuant to Wis. Stats. § 19.84. Records of the board's opinions, opinion requests, and investigations of violations shall be closed to public inspection, as permitted by Wis. Stats. ch. 19. The board, however, may make records public with the consent of the applicant.
Meeting Schedule:
As needed