This resource presents ethical dilemmas encountered by municipal officials. Answers to each problem appear following the question page.

Each dilemma appeared in Connecticut Town & City, the bimonthly publication of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, in the 2003, 2004, and 2005 issues.

QUESTIONS:

1. Do the politically appointed chair and other members of an ethics committee have a conflict of interest when a complaint before them involves the person who appointed them? [find out]
2. Is it proper for a first selectman to spend town funds for mailings to promote town council approval of a dog park? [find out]
3. Should a first selectman accept a free trip from a developer? [find out]
4. Should a first selectman accept a gift of frequent flyer miles from the CEO of a company under contract to perform work for the town? [find out]
5. Should a council member resign if she is not running for re-election and will miss more than half of the council’s meetings over the 5 months prior to November? [find out]
6. Does an ethics provision prohibiting family members from benefiting from a person’s employment with the town, mean that children of town employees may not be hired by the town? [find out]
7. With respect to the preceding question, suppose there was not a ‘no-family member’ disclaimer in the ad for town openings? [find out]
8. Is it proper for a local contractor to serve on the planning and zoning commission? [find out]
9. Should the town reimburse an official who is robbed while on town business? [find out]
10. Should the mayor’s family pay their own way when they accompany her to the resort hotel where she is giving a speech to a non-profit association? [find out]
11. Is it ethical for a town official to hire moonlighting public works employees to cut his grass? [find out]
12. A member of a school board that’s deciding where to build a new school has two children who would attend that school. Should he vote on the issue? [find out]
13. Should the city manager attend a political or charitable fund-raising event honoring a council member? [find out]
14. Can a public works director properly refuse a first selectman’s suggestion that he consult with a local contractor who is friends with the first selectman? [find out]
15. Does a conflict of interest exist where a consultant for a town department is called as a witness in a case challenging an action by a town commission? [find out]
16. Should a town accept a contribution from a porno store to pay for a children’s playground? [find out]
17. May companies doing business with the town be asked to contribute to the mayor’s charitable golf tournament? [find out]