Take Me To Post Comment Form This past Tuesday, at the Georgia Municipal Association's convention in Savannah, the Town of Register was formally recognized as a Certified City of Ethics! I know, I know, big yawn from just about everyone not involved in municipal government but, trust me, this is a big deal.

Under Mayor McGriff's administration, the Council developed an ethics ordinance which essentially puts in writing how the townspeople can expect their officials to behave. The five basic tenets of the ordinance are:

Serve others, not ourselves.
Use the town's resources with efficiency and economy.
Treat all people fairly.
Use our power for the wellbeing of our constituents.
Create an environment of honesty, openness and integrity.

An ordinance is basically a municipal law, so Mayor McGriff and her Council created a law commanding town officials and employees to conduct themselves ethically. In addition to the standards listed above, the ordinance includes remedies for misconduct that range from censure to removal from office.

This is not just a showpiece document, folks, this provides written evidence of Register's commitment to a government of honesty, openness and integrity. We're very proud of having been officially certified as a City of Ethics by the GMA; we hope Register's citizens share our pride.