Brookhaven earns recertification as a “Georgia Certified City of Ethics”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brookhaven earns recertification as a “Georgia Certified City of Ethics”
Councilman Joe Gebbia
Brookhaven, GA, July 9, 2018—The City of Brookhaven has been recertified as a Georgia Certified City of Ethics by the Georgia Municipal Authority (GMA), the only state organization that represents municipal governments in Georgia. The achievement was officially recognized at the annual GMA conclave held in late June in Savannah. With the recertification, the City continues to be authorized by GMA to use a “Certified City of Ethics” logo on city stationery, road signs, city vehicles and for other uses.
“We are extremely proud of this accomplishment,” says Mayor Pro Tem and District 4 Councilman Joe Gebbia. “Each city is required to apply for recertification every four years and this recertification shows Brookhaven’s commitment to ethical principles and our local ethics ordinance.”
The City of Ethics program began in 1999 and was developed by a panel of business and government leaders. The ordinance must contain definitions, prohibited conduct and due process for officials accused of violations in areas such as financial disclosures, conflicts of interests and outside employment. The ordinance must also contain penalties for city officials who violate the ordinance.
In recent years, GMA began requiring cities with the designation to recertify for the program, ensuring that ordinances maintain the standards of the program and city officials are regularly reminded of their ethical obligations as individuals and as a governing body.
Also at the convention, Brookhaven Councilman Bates Mattison was elected 1st Vice President of District 3 and will move up to serve as district president on GMA’s Board of Directors in 2020.
Created in 1933, the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) is the only state organization that represents municipal governments in Georgia and provides legislative advocacy, educational, employee benefit and technical consulting services to its members. GMA's membership currently totals 521 municipal governments, accounting for more than 99% of the state's municipal population.
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Media Contact:
Burke Brennan
Director of Communications
404-637-0709
Burke.Brennan@BrookhavenGA.gov
