The ICMA Committee on Professional Conduct stepped out of the shadows at ICMA’s Seattle conference to share its perspective on why the Code of Ethics is a source of guidance.

Is the ICMA Code of Ethics hanging on your wall? It should be! The Code is the quintessential definition of what it means to be a professional dedicated to public service.

It used to be all about “sunshine;” the disinfectant that would remedy the haze of machine politics, favoritism, and corruption that infected government actions at all levels.

Is the ICMA Code of Ethics hanging on your wall? It should be! The Code is the quintessential definition of what it means to be a professional dedicated to public service.

Here is advice on questions posed recently to ICMA’s ethics adviser.

When we speak, is it personal opinion or official position? And how could anyone tell?

With a total membership of more than 9,500, ICMA receives only 30 to 40 ethics complaints annually.