West Windsor Township councilman Charles Morgan has drafted a Code of Ethics for the governing body and made his version public on Monday, September 25, weeks after other members of the council called for ethical guidelines for members’ conduct in the wake of a bitter and personal exchange between Morgan and fellow councilperson Barbara Pfeifer.
Morgan’s document includes a clause which, if approved by the rest of the council, will outlaw “attacks of a personal nature” as well as “making disparaging remarks about one another.”
Morgan used the federal government’s code of conduct as a guideline, but made several changes, “to suit the particular circumstances of West Windsor.”
The changes made by Morgan sound familiar to those who follow the continuing drama of the council. Morgan’s code says there should be an obligation to not undertake any investigation without privately informing the council president, and not censure any public officer without conducting a private investigation.
The call for a code of ethics came after it was made public that Morgan had investigated Pfeifer’s educational credentials as listed on her application for council candidacy. Morgan, who was the only council member who did not vote for Pfeifer to take her interim council seat, supported Will Anklowitz for the position. Anklowitz and Pfeifer are now opposing each other in the November election for the council position.
Pfeifer and Franc Gambatese publicly called for a censure of Morgan for comments he made relating to the incident and ensuing arguments. Morgan says the censure was never made official because “they had nothing and the township attorney told them so.”
Says Morgan: “I call upon the President of Council to put this on an agenda for discussion by Council before the end of 2006. I also call upon the Mayor and the Administrator to provide comments on this proposal for consideration by Council at that time.” Morgan’s code of ethics is now being amended by township attorney Michael J. Herbert before it goes to vote at a future council meeting.
The code of ethics is meant to be strict and enforceable. “Any officer or employee who violates any provision of this section or of any statute or ordinance relating to conflict of interest shall be deemed guilty of misconduct in office and liable to removal from office therefor,” Reads chapter A, paragraph 3.
The code is meant to replace the current township ordinance relating to conflicts of interest by administrators. Morgan’s code of ethics deals with conflicts of interest in addition to acceptance of gifts and general misuse of public office.
