HomeMy WebLinkAboutbocc.res.142.2006
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF PITKIN COUNTY COLORADO,
AMENDING GOVERNANCE POLICY 2.1, CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES
Resolution #/II1J-..2006
Recitals
1. The Board of County Commissioners adopted Governance Policy 2.1 by Resolution
#64-2006.
2. An amendment to this policy is necessary to fully align the policy with state
campaign law.
3. It is in the best interest of the County to amend Policy 2.1.
Therefore, it is resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pitkin County,
Colorado that the amended Governance Policy 2.1 is hereby approved.
INTRODUCED, READ, AND ADOPTED ON THE 6th DAY OF December, 2006.
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By: L
Jea'nette Jones, Dep
BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF PITKIN
COUNTY, COLORADO
By: ~~2~()"-66
Michael C. Ireland, C . r
ATTEST:
III
Hilary FI c er, County Manager
Approved as to form:
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John EI
y Attorney
PITKIN COUNTY POLICY
,2006
POLICY TYPE: Governance
POLICY: 2.1
POLICY TITLE: Campaign Activities
Pitkin County encourages its employees to participate in political activities regardless of
any employee's particular point of view. However, elected officials and employees are
not permitted to engage in campaign activities while at work, nor use public funds for
advocacy purposes.
Accordingly, the following policy and procedure shall apply:
I. Elected Officials shall not ask any employee to nor shall any employee engage in any
political activities which give the appearance that the political activity is endorsed by the
County or which interfere with the performance of the employee's normal duties.
a. An example of a permissible activity occurs when an employee calls others
from home, not on work time, and urges support or opposition to a ballot issue or
candidate, without identifying himself or herself as a county employee.
b. An example of an impermissible activity occurs when an employee calls from
work, identifying himself or herself as a county employee, and urges support or
opposition to a ballot issue or candidate.
c. Pitkin County encourages and supports public participation by employees.
Unless there is an official county policy on the issue, any County employee making a
statement of endorsement should specify that he or she is not making a statement on
behalf of the County and that the opinions expressed are solely those of the speaker. As
long as so qualified, employees may take individual positions contrary to an adopted
position of the Board of County Commissioners.
2. Elected Officials shall not ask employees to make any contribution to a political
party, to elected officials, to a candidate, or to an issue committee and a refusal to do so
by the employee shall not be used to penalize the employee in any way. An employee,
while on County time or on County property, shall not make any campaign-related
solicitations of contributions from any other employee.
3. During working hours and while on County premises, Elected Officials and
employees shall not:
a. ask employees to support or endorse any candidates for elected office in
Pitkin County;
b. circulate or ask employees to circulate any nominating petitions for such office;
c. distribute or ask employees to distribute any campaign literature or materials;
d. display car stickers on county vehicles;
e. display placards, posters or other materials on county premises on behalf of
any candidate for elected office or ballot issue in Pitkin County; nor
d. devote staff time for any campaign activity.
This section shall not prohibit employees from wearing political buttons so long as that
does not interfere with the performance of the employee's normal duties.
4. Employees who are elected to a Pitkin County office shall resign from the
employment of Pitkin County as of the commencement ofthe elected term of office.
5. The Board of County Commissioners and employees are also prohibited from the
following activities in support of or in opposition to a campaign, whether involving
nomination, retention, or election of any person to public office or to urge electors to vote
for or against any state-wide ballot issue, local ballot issue, referred measure, or recall of
any elected official:
a. making any contributions of public funds in campaigns involving the
nomination, retention, or election of any person to any public office;
b. expending any public moneys from any source or making any contributions to
urge electors to vote in favor of or against any
i. statewide ballot issue that has been submitted for the purpose of having
a title designated and fixed or that has had a title designated or fixed;
ii. local ballot issue that has been submitted for the purpose of having a
title fixed or has had a title fixed;
iii. referred measure;
iv. measure for the recall of any elected official once the measure has been
certified by the appropriate election official for submission to the electors.
c. Examples of what is prohibited includes;
i. using or spending public funds or supplies;
ii. allowing employees to work on a campaign during working hours or to
use public facilities or equipment for the purposes of a campaign;
iii. providing transportation or advertising using public property or funds
to influence the passage or defeat of any issue.
6. The Board of County Commissioners and employees are permitted to engage in the
following activities in support of or in opposition to a campaign, whether involving
nomination, retention, or election of any person to public office or to urge electors to vote
for or against any state-wide ballot issue, local ballot issue, referred measure, or recall of
any elected official:
a. The local governing body may take a position and pass a resolution urging the
electorate to vote for or against any matter. Staff background research for such a
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resolution is also permissible, as is distribution of the resolution through the same means
by which other government information is regularly provided to the public.
b. Elected officials may express an opinion on any issue.
c. Employees may expend personal funds and/or use personal time to urge
electors to vote in favor of or against any issue.
d. Employees may respond to questions about any campaign issue if the employee
has not solicited the question.
e. A board member or employee with policy-making responsibilities may spend
not more than $50.00 of public moneys in the form of letters, telephone calls or other
activities incidental to expressing opinions on campaign issues.
f. If the Board of County Commissioners has a policy permitting public groups to
use its facilities for community purposes, it may allow groups opposed to or supportive of
a ballot issue to use its facilities if the policy is applied in an evenhanded fashion.
g. The County or any department or staff member may use public funds to
dispense a factual summary, which shall include arguments both for and against the
proposal, on any issue of official concern before the electorate in the jurisdiction. Such
summary shall not contain a conclusion or opinion in favor of or against the proposal.
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