Municipalities (cities, towns, and villages) are responsible for establishing and maintaining clear procedures for the investigation and enforcement of complaints alleging a municipal officer has violated the statewide Municipal Code of Ethics. Although the State Ethics Commission was initially charged with training municipalities on how to investigate and resolve these complaints, it has since suspended this service. In its place, VLCT’s Municipal Assistance Center has created a model Code of Ethics Investigation and Enforcement Ordinance to help municipalities meet and implement this requirement.

This session will provide attendees with an overview of Vermont’s relatively new Municipal Code of Ethics before guiding participants through a clear, step-by-step framework for the process of investigating and resolving ethical complaints against municipal officers.

Speaker:
Garrett Baxter, Senior Staff Attorney, VLCT Municipal Assistance Center