At its February 12 meeting, the ICMA Executive Board voted to approve the following recommendations from the ICMA Committee on Professional Conduct (CPC) after a thorough review process:

Navdeep Gill, former county executive, Sacramento County, California, was publicly censured for conduct that violated Tenet 3 of the Code of Ethics. Gill made derogatory and sometimes race-based comments about employees, board members, and members of the community and his management approach created a culture where employees did not feel comfortable disagreeing with him due to a fear of retaliation. The board determined Gill’s pattern of highly unprofessional conduct in the workplace would be inappropriate at any level of the organization and was especially concerning given his level of professional responsibility and long tenure of 30 years in the profession. The board found that in addition to Gill’s unprofessional conduct in the workplace, his approach with the county’s investigator and during ICMA’s ethics review demonstrated a lack of candor that runs contrary to Tenet 3’s commitment to honesty and integrity.

Christopher Layton, former town manager, Duck, North Carolina, was publicly censured for conduct that violated Tenet 3 of the Code of Ethics. Two charges of assault from subordinate employees were brought against Layton and he engaged in an exchange of inappropriate text messages with a planning intern that required the town to incur expenses in financial settlements in excess of $300,000 with employees impacted by his conduct. The board determined these incidents demonstrated a pattern of Layton engaging in unprofessional conduct toward subordinate employees.  The board concluded as the manager, Layton is expected to model appropriate conduct that sets the correct ethical tone for the entire organization and minimizes its exposure to legal and financial risks. The decision included a provision that Layton’s participation in ICMA’s Credentialed Manager program be revoked for a period of five years.

Tenet 3 of the ICMA Code of Ethics Tenet pertains to a member’s ethical obligation to uphold public confidence in his or her  position and the profession and to demonstrate the highest standards of honesty and integrity in both personal and professional conduct.

Members are encouraged to read the ICMA Code of Ethics and Guidelines. As a member benefit, ICMA provides confidential advice to any members who may be uncertain of their ethical obligation or who need guidance to resolve an ethical dilemma. Contact Martha Perego, director of ICMA Member Services and Ethics, at mperego@icma.org or 202-962-3668; or Jessica Cowles, ethics advisor, at jcowles@icma.org or 202-962-3513. Ethics advice, information, and the ICMA Code of Ethics are available online.