Amending Various Sections of Article 1 Chapter 2 The Common Council

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Section 2-8. Decorum and debate regulating Common Council. (c) A eeuneiIman Council Member shall not vote, or take any other discretionary action in his or her offical capacity, except in the exercise of his or her own independent judgment, reached after due regard for the collective interest of his or her constituency as a whole, and of the citizens and the community of the City of South Bend. The prohibition in this subsection extends to any agreement to take action in violation of this subsection and to any effort to induce other Council members to violate it. (d) Whenever a eetinei+man Council Member has or is likely to have a substantial conflict of interest in connection with a matter pending before the Council in which his or her action may be influenced by possible economic benefits or material personal gain, he or she shall disclose fully the nature of his or her conflict of interest, in which event he or she may continue to participate in the deliberations and vote on the matter if it is determined by a majority of the Council present that it is not a material conflict of interest. (e) Whenever a eetneilman Council Member has or is likely to have a substantial conflict of interest in connection with any official matter other than one pending before the Council, he or she shall either: (1) Disqualify himself or herself from further participation in the proceeding; or (2) Conduct himself or herself in accordance with an advisory opinion from the Council Rules Committee. (f) eelneiimen Council Members shall not derive or attempt to derive any unjustified enrichment from their office. This subsection forbids: (1) The solicitation or acceptance of any bribe, or any gift, or other material, economic or personal benefit, or of any promise of similar benefit, which he or she believes or reasonably should believe was intended to influence his or her vote or other action to be taken in his or her official capacity; or (2) The solicitation or acceptance of any gift or other economic or personal benefit conferred because of any vote or other action in his or her official capacity already taken by him or her; or (g) When any Council Member is about to speak or deliver any matter to the Council, he or she shall respectfully address himself or herself to the presiding officer, and upon being recognized, confine himself or herself to the question in debate, and avoid personality, the presiding officer shall not recognize any Council Member as in order, unless he or she is in his or her proper seat. (m) If any member, in speaking or otherwise, shall transgress the rules of the Council, the presiding officer shall, or any member may, call him or her to order, in which case he or she shall immediately cease the transgression unless permitted. on motion of annthpr mnmhAr_ t-n oYria;,, .