At its December 12, 2015, meeting, the ICMA Executive Board voted to publicly censure Jim Chaousis, city manager, Rockland, Maine / former town manager, Boothbay, Maine, for conduct that violated Tenets 2, 3, and 12 of the ICMA Code of Ethics. Chaousis concealed his discovery that Boothbay had paid nearly $4,400 in cell phone bills for his wife and daughter over the course of four years. Only after Boothbay audited its records and sought repayment from Chaousis approximately six months later, did Chaousis discuss the matter and make reimbursement.

In reaching its decision, the board considered three factors: the length of time that the personal expenses were paid by Boothbay; the fact that Chaousis did not take immediate and affirmative action to resolve the matter when he discovered it; and Chaousis’s obligation as the manager to ensure that internal practices were sufficient to protect public resources.

Members are encouraged to read the ICMA Code of Ethics and Guidelines and to seek advice when unsure of their ethical obligation by contacting Martha Perego, ICMA director of Ethics at 202-962-3668 or mperego@icma.org; or Jared Dailey, program manager, at 202-962-3557 or jdailey@icma.org. Ethics advice, information, and the ICMA Code of Ethics are available online at icma.org/ethics.