01.02.05 - Political Activities
CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY MANUAL CHAPTER: 01 Administration Policy No. 01.02.05 SECTION: 02 Administrative Directives Page: 1 of 2 SUBJECT: 05 Political Activities
PURPOSE AND SCOPE: The purpose of this directive is to encourage employees to participate in their constitutionally guaranteed rights of expression as individuals, but to remove any
potential conflicts of interest associated with political activities in the work place. The further purpose of this directive is to give employees a clear understanding of what are acceptable
political activities and what are not acceptable political activities while on the job as an employee of the City of Boynton Beach. PROCEDURE: Any person holding a position with the
City shall have the same right to take part in political campaigns and to exercise their rights of franchise as any other citizen, except that no employee of the City shall engage in
any political activity during his or her hours of work with the City. As an individual, each each employee retains all rights and obligations of citizenship provided in the Constitution
and laws of the State of Florida and in the Constitution and the laws of the United States, however, no employee shall partake in any political campaign while on duty or within any period
of time during which he/she is expected to perform services for which he/she receives compensation from the City. By law, individual political campaigning is not to occur on City property,
therefore, City employees, as well as any other citizen, may not take part in any political campaign on any City owned property (except at approved political events) whether on duty
or off duty. Campaign material or campaign literature may not be posted or displayed in City buildings or in employee work areas. Individual employees are encouraged to participate in
the political process only when off duty. 1
EXAMPLES: ♦ Employees, as individuals, may wear campaign buttons, tee-shirts, jackets and other campaign clothing, except while on duty and/or in City buildings or on City grounds. Employees
may not post or display any campaign materials or campaign literature in their work areas. ♦ Employees may not wear City-issued uniforms (any City-issued clothing including shoes and
badges) while campaigning, either while on duty or during off duty hours and off of City-owned property. ♦ Employees may place bumper stickers on their cars and park those cars in City-owned
parking lots, but employees may not pass out campaign literature in City-owned parking lots whether on duty or off duty. ♦ Employees, as individuals, may participate in a telephone bank
during off duty hours, making phone calls on behalf of candidates, but may not make telephone calls on behalf of candidates while on duty or while in city buildings or on City grounds.
Employees may not identify themselves as employees of the City of Boynton Beach or give the impression that the "City" is supporting a particular candidate while campaigning or soliciting
on behalf of a candidate. ♦ Employees may not use any City equipment (especially copiers or fax machines) in support of any candidate or political campaign. ♦ Employees, as individuals,
may participate in campaign rallies while off-duty. ♦ Employees, as individuals, may speak on behalf of political candidates, except while on duty and except while in City buildings.
“Speaking on behalf” is not interpreted to mean private conversations between individuals. ♦ Union employees may wear union issued clothing and may identify themselves as union members
while campaigning for candidates during off duty hours. Campaign information may be posted on union bulletin boards only. EFFECTIVE DATE: January 25,1995 REVISION DATE: February 1, 1995
REVIEWED: October 20, 2006 Kurt Bressner Kurt Bressner City Manager 2