When I joined ICMA more than a decade ago, I was the chief communications officer for Prince William County, Virginia, USA. My county executive encouraged me to join her in attending the ICMA Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, so that I could connect with city and county managers and learn from their experience. What drew me to ICMA was the members’ commitment to building public trust and adhering to a nonpartisan, professional administration of government—principles that are grounded in the ICMA Code of Ethics.

One hundred years ago, ICMA members adopted the Code to distinguish how ICMA members differed from elected officials and others who might use their positions for personal gain or political interest. Today, the Code, and its fundamental tenets to which we all ascribe as ICMA members, undergirds every action we take as public servants in local government.

Members have an enormous level of responsibility and authority. As such, we believe that it is essential to serve the public good and to put the public’s needs above individual interests; even for those in the community who may think or believe differently than we do. We believe that we must demonstrate a commitment to the equitable and lawful administration of government through our words and deeds in both our personal and professional lives. The Code affirms those principles and offers guidance on how to conduct ourselves as public servants.

Adherence to the Code is the bedrock of ICMA membership. As part of our obligation for membership, we affirm our commitment to the Code in much the same way that many other professions require those who bear the title of their profession to do so. And like other professions, our Code is written, adopted, and enforced by fellow members.

I have had conversations with folks who have raised concerns about holding fellow members accountable to the Code. We expect that when disagreements occur about whether certain conduct violates the Code, the discussions are civil and respectful because our profession in the public eye demands it.

This is why, more than 50 years ago, ICMA adopted the Rules of Procedure for Enforcement of the Code, which dictate the process that should be followed when ICMA receives an ethics complaint.1 The Executive Board’s Committee on Professional Conduct determines violations of the Code through due process for the member. ICMA staff members that support the CPC apply the Rules to every complaint. It is important to note that staff members do not file ethics complaints themselves nor determine case outcomes in what is a difficult task in service to the profession’s integrity.

Many reported violations are never made public as the CPC closes a case where the member’s conduct did not violate the Code and the outcome remains confidential. For conduct that violates the Code, the CPC may issue a private censure or recommend that the Board publicly censure the member. A public censure is determined by the Board and may include revocation of the Credentialed Manager designation, membership suspension, permanent bar, or expulsion. This ensures that through a peer-review process the issues have been fully investigated and deliberated on the established facts of the matter as ICMA reaches a decision. 

The ICMA Credentialed Manager designation and membership in ICMA are respected because the requirement to adhere to the Code provides public confidence that the individual is held to a higher standard of ethical conduct in their role within local government. The Code and the review process informs our own behaviors and establishes a culture where all of us collectively agree to abide by the Code in our daily lives.

By publicly affirming our commitment to the Code and holding ourselves accountable, we plainly demonstrate how we choose to lead and serve with principle.

JASON D. GRANT, PhD, CPM, is director of advocacy at ICMA (jgrant@icma.org).