Admin order 44-11-05 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES. A public employee, while on the job during working hours: (continued from front) • May perform standard job duties, such as taking minutes at a public meeting, maintaining public records, opening mail, inserting proposed resolution into board agenda packet; • May impartially advise employees about possible effects of a measure, but not threaten them with financial loss to vote a particular way; • May address election - related issues while on the job, in a factual and impartial manner, if such activity is legitimately within scope of employee's normal duties; • May, as staff of an elected official, handle incoming calls about the official's availability for political events; • May prepare neutral, factual information for a governing body to use in determining what position to take on an issue (planning stage of a governing body's proposed issue before certified as measure to ballot is not subject to ORS 260.432); • May, in a clerical manner, incorporate amendments into a finalized version of governing body's resolution on issue; • May respond to public records request for information, even if the material advocates a political position; and • May, at any time, express personal political views. A public employee, on their own, off duty time may send letters to the editor that advocate a political position and may participate in any other lawful political activity. It is advised that a salaried public employee keep records when appropriate in order to verify an such olitical acnvi occurs while off du ty. ELECTED OFFICIALS (includes a person appointed to fill a vacancy in an elective public office): • May advocate a political position at any time - they are not considered a "public employee" for purposes of ORS 260.432; • May vote with the other elected officials of a governing body (such as a school board, city council or county commission) to support or oppose a measure, and publicly discuss such a vote - but must not use the public employee staff time to assist in this, except for ministerial functions; • May perform campaign activity at any time, however must take caution not to involve any public employee's work time to do so; • May not, in the role of a supervisor, request a public employee - whether the public employee is on or off duty - to perform any political activity. A request made by a person in a position of supervisor or superior is viewed as a command for purposes of this election law; and • May not have an opinion piece or letter advocating a political position published in a jurisdiction's newsletter or other publication produced or distributed by public employees. For more detailed information about ORS 260.432 and information about other election laws, contact.• Secretary of State, Elections Division John Lindback, Director Rm 141, State Capitol Bldg. Salem, OR 97310 -0722 Phone no. (503) 986 -1518 Fax no. (503) 373 -7414 Website address: www.sos.state.or.us - go to Elections.