Members must be mindful at all times of the appropriate roles and responsibilities of elected officials and professional staff.  Members gather research and data to develop policy recommendations that are presented to the governing body and public for review and debate.  Once the governing body reaches a decision, members are expected to implement it fairly, regardless of whether professional staff supported it. 

Applicable Tenets

Tenet 5.  Submit policy proposals to elected officials; provide them with facts, and technical and professional advice about policy options; and collaborate with them in setting goals for the community and organization.

Tenet 6.  Recognize that elected representatives are accountable to their community for the decisions they make; members are responsible for implementing those decisions.

PM Magazine Articles

• Exercise Caution With Creative Workarounds (June 2019)
• Ethics Disaster Preparedness (June 2018)
• The Duty of Candor (October 2017)