The city of Demorest has been certified as a City of Ethics by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). A designation that has been bestowed on almost half of the cities in the state of Georgia.
Council Member Dr. John Hendrix received the award on behalf of the city at the GMA Cities United Summit held last month in Atlanta.
During the Council meeting Tuesday evening, Demorest Mayor Jerry Harkness presented the plaque the city received that will be displayed at City Hall. Councilmember Hendrix expressed his appreciation to the Mayor and council for committing to the five core principles required to receive the City of Ethics designation and to the city attorney for ensuring they had all the required documents prepared and in order to submit to GMA for this certification.
“We also want to thank all of our citizens who have committed to helping us and working hard and our city employees who work hard every day for the city of Demorest,” said Hendrix.
Mayor Harkness thanked councilman Hendrix for going to Atlanta to accept the award for the city.
The Georgia Municipal Association requires that cities adopt a resolution by a majority of the elected body to establish the five ethics principles for the conduct of city officials.
The five principles are as follows:
- Serve others, not ourselves
- Use resources with efficiency and economy
- Treat all people fairly
- Use the power of our position for the well-being of our constituents
- Create an environment of honesty, openness, and integrity
Cities must adopt an ethics ordinance that meets the minimum standards approved by the GMA Board.
This ordinance must contain definitions for terminology within the ordinance. It must contain what activities are permissible and what are not permissible activities by elected officials. It must provide due process procedures for elected officials charged with a violation of the ordinance.
The city must also pay a one-time fee of $85.
Once the certification has been achieved, the city must reapply every four years to maintain its certification.
