Port Jefferson Board of Trustees Unanimously Passes Amendment to Ethics Code
Port Jefferson, NY—At the January 31, 2024 meeting of the Village Board of Trustees, the Village Board unanimously passed the replacement to Chapter 41 of the Village Code (Ethics, Code of).
The updated version of the Code was first presented to the Village at the November 20, 2023 Public Hearing, by Ethics Counsel Steven Leventhal who drafted the amendment.
“This update was long overdue,” said Mayor Sheprow of the Code, which was adopted back in 1970, amended in 1974 and again in 1992. “It’s important that those of us who serve the Village have clearly delineated present-day guidelines we can follow, in order to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.”
The Board vote on the replacement Code was initially planned for the December 11, 2023 Board of Trustees Meeting. However, the topic generated so much discussion among Board members and residents alike, that the Board decided to reopen the Public Comment period and reschedule the vote for January 31, 2024, to allow everyone more time to weigh in.
All public comments submitted in written form can be found on the Village website: portjeff.com (scroll to bottom). The enacted Ethics Code (Chapter 41 – see attached) was submitted by the Clerk’s Office to the NYS Department of State in Albany and will be updated online once the proof of filing is received.
All meetings and work sessions, in which the Code amendment was addressed and discussed, can be found on the Port Jefferson Village Official YouTube Channel.