CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
The Abington Township Public Libraries Board of Trustees believes that it is fundamentally important that the public perceives that all policies and decisions of the Board are fairly and impartially determined, and that the financial interests of the members of the Board do not conflict with the public trust. To that end, the Board has adopted the following policy:
- A Trustee shall not participate, directly or indirectly, in the making of any contract on behalf of the Library for goods or services in which he or she is financially interested either as an employee, partner or principal or has any ownership interest in the entity, except for the services for which a Trustee is specifically retained. Nor shall a Trustee participate in any decision or recommendation involving the Library where such persons shall have a direct or indirect financial interest.
Any Trustee aware of a personal conflict of interest regarding a matter coming before the Board shall bring this to the attention of the Board. The President of the Board shall rule as to whether the declaration constitutes a conflict. If a conflict exists, the Trustee shall not vote on the matter and shall excuse him/herself from any discussion regarding the matter by leaving the room, and shall not be counted in determining the quorum if that has not already been established for the meeting. These points shall be recorded in the Minutes of such meetings.
When a Board member perceives that another Trustee has a conflict of interest that has not been declared, the Board member may request the President to rule.
In the event that the President has a conflict or perceived conflict the Vice-President will fulfill the role of investigating and ruling on the conflict.
- The Board, in accordance with this policy and applicable law, shall deal with any conflict of interest brought to the attention of the Board.
Adopted 7/26/04
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