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PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT
CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT - CALENDARS
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County Board of Commissioners, that TITLE 1 - ADMINISTRATIVE, CHAPTER 13 - CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT, SECTION NUMBER 1-13-2 - CODE OF CONDUCT of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County Code of Ordinances is hereby amended as Follows:
Sec. 1-13-2: CODE OF CONDUCT.
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L. Political Activity.
1. No District Official or Employee shall compel, coerce or intimidate any District Official or Employee to make or refrain from making any political contribution. No District Official, Appointee shall directly solicit any political contribution from their Employees, the spouses, domestic partners or civil union partners of, or Relatives living with, their Employees. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any Official or Employee from voluntarily making a contribution or from receiving a voluntary contribution.
2. No Employee with contract management authority nor Appointee of a District Official whose board or commission appointment provides for compensation and requires confirmation by the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners shall serve on the political committee of any elected Official or Candidate for Cook County office.
3. District Employees shall not intentionally perform any prohibited political activity during any compensated time (other than vacation, personal, or compensatory time off). District Employees or Officials shall not intentionally misappropriate any District property or resources by engaging in any prohibited political activity for the benefit of any campaign for elective office or any political organization or political committee.
4. At no time shall any Official or Employee intentionally misappropriate the services of any District Employee and at no time shall any Appointee misappropriate the services of any Board or Commission Employee by requiring that Employee to perform any prohibited political activity:
a. As part of that Employee's District duties or, in the case of a board or commission, as part of that Employee's board or commission duties;
b. As a condition of District employment or, in the case of a board or commission, as a condition of board or commission employment; or during any time off that is compensated by the District or board or commission (such as vacation, personal, or compensatory time off).
5. A District Employee or Appointee shall not be required at any time to participate in any prohibited political activity in consideration for that Employee being awarded any additional compensation or employee benefit, in the form of a salary adjustment, bonus, compensatory time off, continued employment, or otherwise.
6. A District Employee or Appointee shall not be awarded any additional compensation or employee benefit, in the form of a salary adjustment, bonus, compensatory time off, continued employment, or otherwise, in consideration for the Employee's participation in any prohibited political activity.
7. Except as provided by subsection c, District funds and resources may not be used by any elected District Official to print, mail, transmit, or pay for the printing, mailing, or transmission of any newsletters or brochures bearing the proper name of the elected District Official during the period of time;
a. Sixty (60) days prior to a general primary election and ending the day after such general primary election; and
b. Sixty (60) days prior to a general election and ending the day after such general election.
c. This Section shall not apply to:
(1) Responses to unsolicited inquiries from constituents and other interested parties; or
(2) Informational brochures that are solely related to and accompany any mailing of a property tax bill, notice of property tax assessment, or notice of voter registration or polling place information, or to a brochure mailed to a constituent in response to that constituent's inquiry concerning the needs of that constituent or questions raised by that constituent.
(3) Budget Books (Annual Appropriations Ordinances); annual and other official reports; memos, letters, and other communications on District letterhead; and coverage of press releases on official District events noting speakers or ribbon cutting or other official duties of elected Officials.
d. No public service announcement or advertisement that is on behalf of any District administered program and contains the proper name, image, or voice of any elected District Official shall be paid with District funds and broadcast or aired on radio or television or printed in a commercial newspaper or commercial magazine at any time on or after the date that the elected District Official files nominating papers for any elected office, and ending the day after such general election if the elected District Official is a candidate in such primary or general election. This Section shall not apply to any information available or posted by the District or any elected District Official on any District owned website or District owned social media account or broadcast or aired on the "public educational, government access" channels.
e. The proper name or image of any elected Official may not appear on any promotional materials or items if designed, paid for, produced, and/or distributed with public funds or resources, including, but not limited to:
(1) Bumper stickers;
(2) Commercial billboards;
(3) Lapel pins or buttons;
(4) Magnets;
(5) Sports teams;
(6) Items of clothing or apparel;
(7) Stickers;
(8) Calendars, with the exception of the annual District wall calendar which highlights and features photographic images of the flora and fauna, historical buildings, and landmarks within the District;
(9) Vehicles; or
(10) Equipment.
f. At no time during official district events, shall any Official disseminate or display political promotional material that includes the Official's name and/or image.
8. Nothing in this Section prohibits activities that are otherwise appropriate for a District Employee or Appointee to engage in on a voluntary basis as permitted by law.
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Effective date: This ordinance shall be in effect immediately upon adoption.
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