Public employment is a public trust. It is the policy of Burnet County to promote and balance the objective of protecting government integrity and the objective of facilitating the recruitment and retention of personnel needed by Burnet County. Such a policy implemented by prescribing essential standards of ethical conduct without creating unnecessary obstacles to entering public services. Public servants must discharge their duties impartially so as to assure fair competitive access to governmental procurement by responsible contractors. Moreover, they should conduct themselves in such a manner as to foster public confidence in the integrity of the Burnet County procurement organization. To achieve the purpose of this article, it is essential that those doing business with Burnet County also observe the ethical standards prescribed here. It shall be a breach of ethics to attempt to influence any public employee, elected official or department head to breach the standards of ethical conduct set forth in this code. It shall be a breach of ethics for any employee of Burnet County or a vendor doing business with the county to participate directly or indirectly in a procurement when the employee or vendor knows that: The employee or any member of the employee’s immediate family, or household has a substantial financial interest pertaining to the procurement. This means ownership of 10% or more of the company involved and/or ownership of stock or other interest or such valued at $2500.00 or more. A business or organization in which the employee, or any member of the employee’s immediate family, has a financial interest pertaining to the procurement. Gratuities: It shall be a breach of ethics to offer, give or agree to give any employee of Burnet County or for any employee to solicit, demand, accept or agree to accept from a vendor, a gratuity of consequence or any offer of employment in connection with any decision approval, disapproval, recommendation, preparation or any part of a program requirement or purchase request influencing the content of any specification or procurement standard, rendering of advice, investigation, auditing, or in any other advisory capacity in any proceeding or controversy, any particular matter pertaining to any program requirement or a contract or subcontract, or to any solicitation or proposal therefore pending before this government.

Kickbacks: It shall be a breach of ethics for any payment, gratuity or offer of employment to be made by or on behalf of a subcontractor under a contract to the prime contractor or higher tier subcontractor for any contract for Burnet County as an inducement for the award of a contract or order.

Contract Clause: The prohibition against gratuities and kickbacks prescribed above shall be conspicuously set forth in every contract and solicitation, therefore. Any effort to influence any employee, elected official, or department head to violate the standards of the code is grounds to void the contract. Please certify, by your signature below, that you understand the ethics policy of Burnet County and in no way will attempt to violate the code.
(NOTE: This language is subject to change).