The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
(Cite as: 24 App. V.S.A. ch. 171, § 7)
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§ 7. Ethics
(a) Policy statement. Accepting a position as a public official carries with it the acceptance of trust
that the official will work to further the public interest. Maintaining that public
trust is critical to the continued operation of good government. In addition, public
decision-making should be open and accessible to the public at large. To preserve
this public trust, there are five principles to which public officials should adhere:
(1) A public official should represent and work toward the public interest and not toward
private or personal interests.
(2) A public official should accept and maintain the public trust (i.e., he or she must
preserve and enhance the public’s confidence in its public officials).
(3) A public official should exercise leadership, particularly in the form of consistently
demonstrating behavior that reflects the public trust.
(4) A public official should recognize the proper role of all government bodies and the
relationships between the various government bodies.
(5) A public official should always demonstrate respect for others and for other positions.
(b) Policy or ordinance authorized. In order to promote these principles, the Selectboard may adopt, by resolution or
ordinance, a formal, binding policy or ordinance on ethics. (Added 2003, No. M-11 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 3, 2004.)