MMC Ethics & Professionalism 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A clerk is pressured by the mayor to certify election results before the official canvass is complete. The clerk should:
- Certify early to maintain a good working relationship with the mayor
- Certify only the precincts that are finished
- Refuse and explain that certification before the complete canvass is unlawful (Correct answer)
- Ask the city attorney to certify instead
Correct answer: Refuse and explain that certification before the complete canvass is unlawful
Clerks must follow statutory election procedures and cannot certify results before the lawful canvass is finished, regardless of pressure.
Question 2: Which behavior best demonstrates impartiality in a municipal clerk's daily work?
- Favoring requests from long-tenured council members
- Treating all citizens' public records requests with the same priority and courtesy (Correct answer)
- Expediting matters for constituents who are polite
- Deferring difficult requests to junior staff
Correct answer: Treating all citizens' public records requests with the same priority and courtesy
Impartiality means applying the same standards consistently to all individuals regardless of status or relationship.
Question 3: When sharing information learned during a closed executive session, a municipal clerk should:
- Share it with close colleagues to promote transparency
- Disclose it only if asked directly by a journalist
- Keep it confidential unless legally required to disclose it (Correct answer)
- Post a summary on the city's social media
Correct answer: Keep it confidential unless legally required to disclose it
Closed session matters are legally confidential, and the clerk must maintain that confidentiality unless otherwise required by law.
Question 4: A clerk who routinely arrives late to meetings, misses deadlines, and provides inaccurate agendas is violating which professional standard?
- Conflict of interest rules
- Competence and reliability (Correct answer)
- Nepotism policy
- Whistleblower protections
Correct answer: Competence and reliability
Competence and reliability are core professional standards; consistent failures in basic duties undermine public trust.
Question 5: Which action demonstrates ethical record retention practice?
- Shredding documents after two years to save storage costs
- Retaining records according to the state-approved retention schedule (Correct answer)
- Keeping all records permanently to avoid any legal risk
- Digitizing records and immediately destroying paper originals without authorization
Correct answer: Retaining records according to the state-approved retention schedule
State-approved retention schedules define the legally and ethically correct period for retaining each type of record.
Question 6: If a clerk has a personal friendship with an applicant for a city permit, ethical practice requires the clerk to:
- Expedite the application as a personal favor
- Process the application according to standard procedures without special treatment (Correct answer)
- Recuse entirely and let a colleague handle all aspects
- Disclose the friendship only if the applicant requests it
Correct answer: Process the application according to standard procedures without special treatment
Standard procedures apply equally to all applicants; personal relationships must not influence official decisions.
Question 7: The concept of 'servant leadership' as applied to the municipal clerk role means:
- Doing whatever elected officials demand without question
- Prioritizing the needs of the community and staff above personal recognition (Correct answer)
- Leading only when no elected official is available
- Serving only the highest-ranking municipal official
Correct answer: Prioritizing the needs of the community and staff above personal recognition
Servant leadership places the well-being of the community and colleagues at the center of the clerk's professional purpose.
MMC Ethics & Professionalism 3
A clerk is pressured by the mayor to certify election results before the official canvass is complete.
The clerk should: