Code of Honor of the Council of the City of Mainz
All elected representatives are aware that they bear a special responsibility. The public expects the representatives they elect to make uninfluenced decisions that are oriented towards the common good.
For this reason, the following principles apply beyond the statutory provisions for activities in the respective bodies:
- Elected representatives shall not accept any gifts that are offered to them in direct or indirect connection with their activities as council and committee members and to which they have no legal claim.
- The acceptance of hospitality and services within the scope of the mandate (e.g., at meetings, visits, discussions, anniversaries, exhibition openings, inaugurations, sporting events) remains permitted if they are customary and appropriate, comply with the requirement of courtesy, and the elected representatives are not in a position of influence. anniversaries, exhibition openings, inaugurations, sporting events) remains permissible if it is customary and appropriate, complies with the requirements of courtesy, and the elected representatives cannot refuse such acceptance without violating social norms. This also applies to work on supervisory boards of municipal companies.
- Elected officials shall not accept any benefits, e.g. in the form of favorable terms from credit institutions, favorable terms from utility companies, public tenders and contracts, purchase and rental prices for apartments and land, or purchasing opportunities in companies, insofar as these are related to the exercise of their mandate and are not generally offered to other persons.
- Members of supervisory boards of municipal and city-related companies represent exclusively the public interests of the city and the interests of the company, not the interests of third parties.
- In connection with their activities on a supervisory board of a company to which they have been elected or appointed, elected representatives shall not accept any benefits of any kind (e.g., travel) that do not serve or relate to the performance of their duties in the company.
- Elected officials shall not use information that becomes known to them in connection with their activities as elected officials to obtain an advantage for themselves or third parties.
- Elected officials shall immediately report any suspicion of corruption to the chair of the city council.
- Elected representatives shall also publicly advocate for the prevention and combating of corruption.