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THE CITY OF SANTA ANA CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT ADOPTED JUNE 2, 2008 The people of the City of Santa Ana, at an election held on February 5, 2008, approved an amendment to the City Charter of the City of Santa Ana which states: “The City of Santa Ana shall adopt a Code of Ethics and Conduct for elected officials and members of appointed boards, commissions, and committees to assure public confidence in the integrity of local government elected and appointed officials.” Consistent with the vote of the people, the following Code of Ethics and Conduct is hereby adopted by the City of Santa Ana to ensure effective and fair operation of the local government of the City of Santa Ana. I. PREAMBLE It is the intent of this code to achieve fair, ethical, and accountable local government for the City of Santa Ana. The people of Santa Ana expect public officials, both elected and appointed, to comply with both the letter and the spirit of the laws of the State of California, the United States of America, and the Charter, Municipal Code, and established policies of the City of Santa Ana affecting the operations of local government. In addition, public officials are expected to comply with the provisions of this Code of Ethics and Conduct established pursuant to the expressed will of the people. All persons covered by this code will aspire to meet the highest ethical standards in the conduct of their responsibility as an elected or appointed official of the City of Santa Ana. This code addresses various aspects related to the governance of the City of Santa Ana and supplements, but does not supplant other laws and rules that prescribe the legal responsibilities of City officials. These include, but are not limited to, the Federal and State Constitutions, various provisions of the California Government Code (such as the Brown Act and the Political Reform Act), the Labor Code, laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment, and the City of Santa Ana Charter and Municipal Code. Elected and appointed officials are expected to be familiar with these laws to ensure that they exercise their public responsibilities in a proper fashion. This code is not designed to be used as a tool to remove appointed officials, as the City Council retains the right under the Charter and Municipal Code to remove appointed officials in accordance with those provisions. While it is not possible to anticipate and provide a rule of conduct and ethics for all situations that public officials may face, this Code of Ethics and Conduct is designed to provide a framework to guide public officials in their daily duties. II.