Brookhaven City Council Passes Resolution On Conduct And Decorum

From the City of Brookhaven:

June 25, 2021

At its regular business meeting on June 15, the Brookhaven City Council unanimously approved a resolution adopting conduct and decorum guidelines for elected and appointed officials.

“This policy strikes an important balance between reaffirming the inherent constitutional rights of freedom of speech is assured among council members, regardless of their position on any issue, while providing a basis for respectful dissent between members when a consensus is not possible,” said Mayor Pro Tempore Joe Gebbia, the primary author and sponsor of the resolution.

The resolution avows to, “Ensure that elected and appointed officials, while exercising their office, conduct themselves in a manner that will instill public confidence and trust in the fair operation and integrity of Brookhaven’s City government. These conduct guidelines are designed to officiate the standards by which all current and future members of Brookhaven leadership interact with each other and the public at large.”

Brookhaven City Manager Christian Sigman noted that conduct and decorum policies are commonplace for leadership in large corporations, but unique for a local government.

“With this resolution, we are codifying the culture that we have been able to demonstrate as a governing body since Brookhaven was founded,” said Mayor Pro Tempore Gebbia. “This culture, how we treat each other with respect, candor, and honesty - outlines how a council should operate, which lives up to the expectations of our residents.”

The resolution and guidelines can be found below:

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This press release was produced by the City of Brookhaven. The views expressed here are the author’s own.