This is the operative portion of the Town of Amherst Town Code that deals with gratuities and elected officials. When I last served on the Town Board I was able to get the level to $0 - or zero tolerance. When I was Supervisor our policy was to prohibit any form of gift or gratuity, but for those that slipped through , the rule was if it was edible, it went to the senior citizen center; if not, it went to the museum. Its time to get that zero tolerance , zero dollar figure back. More significantly , its time to face the reality - as Councilmember Margaret "Peggy" Santillo once proposed - and start the prohibition of developer and special interest campaign contributions - with real and meaningful penalties- as they are de facto gratuities , and the public sees them as poorly camouflaged bribes. Lets change this law.
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