Source: http://www.lcsedu.net/schoolboard/policymanual/bbfa
Timestamp: 2017-11-18 15:54:24
Document Index: 177470

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 13', '§ 24', '§ 24', '§ 501', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2']

Conflict of Interests and Disclosure of Economic Interests | LCS | Lynchburg City Schools
Conflict of Interests and Disclosure of Economic Interests - Policy BBFA
The Lynchburg City School Board seeks, through the adoption of this policy, to assure that the judgment of its members, officers and employees will be guided by a policy that defines and prohibits inappropriate conflicts and requires disclosure of economic interests, as defined by the General Assembly in the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act (the Act).
The Act establishes five principal areas of regulation applicable to board members, officers, and employees of the Lynchburg City School Division. They are:
Special anti-nepotism rules relating to School Board members and superintendents of schools.
General rules governing public conduct by School Board members regarding acceptance of gifts and favors.
Prohibited conduct regarding contracts.
Required conduct regarding transactions.
Disclosures required from School Board members.
“Affiliated business entity relationship” means a relationship, other than a parent- subsidiary relationship, that exists when
one business entity has a controlling ownership interest in the other business entity;
"Financial institution" means any bank, trust company, savings institution, industrial loan association, consumer finance company, credit union, broker-dealer as defined in subsection A of Va. Code § 13.1- 501, or investment company or advisor registered under the federal Investment Advisors Act or Investment Company Act of 1940.
"Gift" means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan forbearance, or other item having monetary value. It includes services as well as gifts of transportation, local travel, lodgings, and meals, whether provided in-kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred. "Gift" does not include any offer of a ticket, coupon, or other admission or pass unless the ticket, coupon, admission, or pass is used; honorary degrees; any athletic, merit, or need-based scholarship or any other financial aid awarded by a public or private school, institution of higher education, or other educational program pursuant to such school, institution or program’s financial aid standards and procedures applicable to the general public; a campaign contribution properly received and reported pursuant to Va. Code § 24.2-945 et seq.; any gift related to the private profession or occupation of the School Board member or employee or of a member of the School Board member’s or employee’s immediate family; food or beverages consumed while attending an event at which the School Board member or employee is performing official duties related to his public service; food and beverages received at or registration or attendance fees waived for any event at which the School Board member or employee is a featured speaker, presenter or lecturer; unsolicited awards of appreciation or recognition in the form of a plaque, trophy, wall memento or similar item that is given in recognition of public, civic, charitable or professional service; a devise or inheritance; travel disclosed pursuant to the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act (Va. Code § 24.2-945 et seq.); travel paid for or provided by the government of the United States, any of its territories or any state or any political subdivision of such state; travel related to an official meeting of the Commonwealth, its political subdivisions, or any board, commission, authority, or other entity, or any charitable organization established pursuant to § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code affiliated with such entity, to which such person has been appointed or elected or is a member by virtue of his office or employment; or gifts from relatives or personal friends. For the purpose of this definition, "relative" means the donee's spouse, child, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew or first cousin; a person to whom the donee is engaged to be married; the donee's or donee’s spouse's parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, or sister, step-parent, step-grandparent, step-grandchild, step-brother or step-sister or the donee's brother's or sister's spouse. For the purpose of this definition, “personal friend” does not include any person that the School Board member or employee knows or has reason to know is (a) a lobbyist registered pursuant to Va. Code § 2.2-418 et seq.; (b) a lobbyist’s principal as defined in Va. Code § 2.2-419; or (c) a person, organization or business who is a party to or is seeking to become a party to a contract with the School Board. For purposes of this definition, “person, organization, or business” includes individuals who are officers, directors or owners of or who have a controlling ownership interest in such organization or business.
ownership in a business if the ownership interest exceeds three percent of the total equity of the business;
ownership of real or personal property if the interest exceeds $5,000 in value and excluding ownership in a business, income or salary, other compensation, fringe benefits or benefits from the use of property;
the subject of the transaction or
may realize a reasonably foreseeable direct or indirect benefit or detriment as a result of the action of the agency considering the transaction
Notwithstanding the foregoing, such personal interest in a transaction shall not be deemed to exist where (a) an elected member of a local governing body serves without remuneration as a member of the board of trustees of a not-for-profit entity and such elected member or member of his immediate family has no personal interest related to the not-for-profit entity or (b) an officer, employee, or elected member of a local governing body is appointed by the local governing body to serve on a governmental agency, or an officer, employee, or elected member of a separate local governmental agency formed by a local governing body is appointed to serve on a governmental agency, and the personal interest in the transaction of the governmental agency is a result of the salary, other compensation, fringe benefits, or benefits provided by the local governing body or the separate governmental agency to the officer or employee.
1. The School Board may not employ or pay, and the Superintendent may not recommend for employment, the father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, or brother-in-law, of the Superintendent or of a School Board member. This provision shall not be construed to prohibit the employment, promotion, or transfer within the school division, of any person within a relationship described above when such person
has been employed pursuant to a written contract with the School Board or employed as a substitute teacher or teacher's aide by the School Board prior to the taking of office of any member of the Board or Superintendent; or
2. The School Board may employ or pay, and the Superintendent may recommend for employment, any family member of the Superintendent or of a School Board member provided that
3. No family member (as listed in section D.1., above) of any employee may be employed by the School Board if the family member is to be employed in a direct supervisory and/or administrative relationship either supervisory or subordinate to the employee. The employment and assignment of family members in the same organizational unit is discouraged.
E. General Rules Governing Public Conduct by School Board Members and Employees Regarding Gifts and Favors
offer or accept money, or anything else of value, for or in consideration of obtaining employment, appointment, or promotion of any person in the school division;
offer offer or accept any money or anything else of value for or in consideration of the use of his public position to obtain a contract for any person or business with the school division;
{accept a gift from a person who has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance of the School Board member’s or employee’s official duties under circumstances where the timing and nature of the gift would cause a reasonable person to question the Board member’s or employee’s impartiality in the matter affecting the donor;
“Person, organization or business” includes individuals who are officers, directors or owners of or who have a controlling ownership interest in such organization or business.
“Widely attended event” means an event at which at least 25 persons have been invited to attend or there is a reasonable expectation that at least 25 persons will attend the event and the event is open to individuals (i) who share a common interest, (ii) who are members of a public, civic, charitable or professional organization, (iii) who are from a particular industry or profession or (iv) who represent persons interested in a particular issue.
School Board members and employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interests as prescribed in VA. Code § 2.2-3117 and members of their immediate families shall not solicit, accept or receive any single gift with a value in excess of $100 or any combination of gifts with an aggregate value in excess of $100 within any calendar year for the School Board member or employee or a member of the School Board or employee’s immediate family from any person that the School Board member or employee or a member of the School Board’s or employee’s immediate family knows or has reason to know is (i) a lobbyist registered pursuant to Va. Code § 2.2-418 et seq.; (ii) a lobbyist’s principal as defined in Va. Code § 2.2-419; or (iii) a person, organization, or business who is or is seeking to become a party to a contract with the School Board. Gifts with a value of less than $20 are not subject to aggregation for purposes of this prohibition.
Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit or apply to the acceptance by a teacher or other employee of Lynchburg City School Board of an award or payment in honor of meritorious or exceptional services performed by the teacher or employee and made by an organization exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
1. No School Board member or employee shall have a personal interest in (i) any contract with the School Board or (ii) any contract with any government agency which is subject to the ultimate control of the Board;
2. Exceptions - The above prohibition is not applicable to:
a Board member's personal interest in a contract of employment provided the employment first began prior to the member becoming a member of the School Board;
an employee’s own contract of employment;
contracts for the sale by a governmental agency of services or goods at uniform prices available to the general public;
a contract awarded to a member of the School Board as a result of competitive sealed bidding where the School Board has established a need for the same or substantially similar goods through purchases prior to the election or appointment of the member to serve on the School Board; however, the member shall have no involvement in the preparation of the specifications for such contract, and the remaining members of the School Board, by written resolution, shall state that it is in the public interest for the member to bid on such contract;
the sale, lease or exchange of real property between a School Board member or employee and the School Board, provided the Board member or employee does not participate in any way as a Board member or employee in such sale, lease or exchange, and this fact is set forth as a matter of public record by the School Board or Superintendent;
the publication of official notices;
an officer or employee whose sole personal interest in a contract with the governmental agency is by reason of income from the contracting firm or governmental agency in excess of $10,000 per year, provided the officer or employee or a member of his immediate family does not participate and has no authority to participate in the procurement or letting of such contract on behalf of the contracting firm and the officer or employee either does not have authority to participate in the procurement or letting of the contract on behalf of his governmental agency or he disqualifies himself as a matter of public record and does not participate on behalf of his governmental agency in negotiating the contract or in approving the contract;
contracts between an officer’s or employee’s governmental agency and a public service corporation, financial institution, or company furnishing public utilities in which the officer or employee has a personal interest provided the officer or employee disqualifies himself as a matter of public record and does not participate on behalf of his governmental agency in negotiating or approving the contract;
contracts for the purchase of goods or services when the contract does not exceed $500;
grants or other payment under any program wherein uniform rates for, or the amounts paid to, all qualified applicants are established solely by the administering governmental agency;
an officer or employee whose sole personal interest in a contract with his own governmental agency is by reason of his marriage to his spouse who is employed by the same agency, if the spouse was employed by such agency for five or more years prior to marrying such officer or employee;
employment contracts and other contracts entered into prior to August 1,1987, provided such contracts were in compliance with the Virginia Conflict of Interests Act (or the Comprehensive Conflict of Interests Act)at the time of their formation and thereafter. Those contracts shall continue to be governed by the provisions of the appropriate prior Act. The employment by the same governmental agency of an officer or employee and spouse or any other relative residing in the same household shall not be deemed to create a material financial interest except when one of the persons is employed in a direct supervisory and/or administrative position with respect to the spouse or other relative residing in his household and the annual salary of the subordinate is $35,000 or more.
1. Each School Board member and School Board employee who has a personal interest in a transaction
the transaction has application solely to property or a business or governmental agency in which he has a personal interest or a business that has a parent-subsidiary or affiliated business entity relationship with the business in which he has a personal interest, or
he is unable to participate pursuant to subdivision G.1.b, G.1.c., or G.1.d. of this policy.
attend any portion of a closed meeting authorized by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act when the matter in which he has a personal interest is discussed; or
discuss the matter in which he has a personal interest with other governmental officers or employees at any time.
b. may participate in the transaction if he is a member of a business, profession, occupation, or group of three or more persons, the members of which are affected by the transaction, and he complies with the declaration requirements of Va. Code § 2.2-3115 G;
c. may participate in the transaction when a party to the transaction is a client of his firm if he does not personally represent or provide services to such client and he complies with the declaration requirements of Va. Code § 2.2-3115 H; or
3. If disqualifications under subsection 1.a. of this section leave less than the number required by law to act, the remaining member or members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business and have authority to act for the board by majority vote, unless a unanimous vote of all members is required by law, in which case authority to act shall require a unanimous vote of remaining members.
1. School Board members file, as a condition of assuming office, a disclosure statement of their personal interests and other information as is required on the form prescribed by the Council pursuant to Va. Code § 2.2-3117 and thereafter file such statement annually on or before January 15. The disclosure forms are filed and maintained as public records for five years in the office of the clerk of the School Board.
that he is a member of a business, profession, occupation, or group the members of which are affected by the transaction; and
School Board members or employees subject to the Act may seek written opinions regarding the Act from the local Commonwealth’s attorney; the local city attorney; or the Council. Good faith reliance on any such written opinion of the Commonwealth’s attorney or the Council bars prosecution for a knowing violation of the Act provided the opinion was made after a full disclosure of the facts. An opinion of the city attorney may be introduced at trial as evidence that the School Board member or employee did not knowingly violate the Act.
Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, §§ 2.2-3101, 2.2-3102, 2.2-3103, 2.2-3103.2, 2.2-3104.1, 2.2-3108, 2.2-3109, 2.2-3110, 2.2-3112, 2.2-3115, 2.2-3119 and 2.2-3124.
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