From the Cary News (9/15/10): A code of ethics adopted by the Apex Town Council last week will serve as a physical reminder of the standards of conduct that both elected and appointed officials here must follow in their respective roles.
“It’s a good reminder, and it’s certainly not a problem for us to adopt this,” Mayor Keith Weatherly said. “Still, one hopes that elected officials don’t need a document like this to know the difference between right and wrong or a conflict of interest.”
The council’s decision to adopt a code of ethics comes about a year after state legislators passed a law requiring all municipalities in North Carolina to adopt such standards of conduct.
That law, ratified in August 2009, gave towns until Jan. 1, 2011, to comply.
In addition to developing a set of ethical guidelines, the state law also requires elected officials in each town to participate in at least two hours of ethics training within a year of taking office.