VIEWPOINT
Acting in accordance with AMCTO ’ s Code of Ethics and Values is an achievement worthy of a gold medal
LAZYLLAMA / SHUTTERSTOCK . COM
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6 Q4 2016 www . amcto . com foundation of sportsmanship and the “ glory of sport .” I ’ m well aware that there have been ( and will likely continue to be ) similar scandals in other sporting events , but none of these events have a similar oath sworn by one athlete on behalf of all . The fact that some athletes were presumably comfortable with blatantly disregarding the principles of the Athletes ’ Oath is something that I find difficult to accept . In my mind , it ’ s not enough to just be aware of the words , you need to take them to heart and live by them .
In its own way , the same can be said about AMCTO ’ s Code of Ethics and Values . As municipal professionals , our members must not only be aware of what is contained within the Code , they must also be committed to abiding by it . And while all aspects of the Code are important , in my opinion the provisions around maintaining professionalism , integrity and trust and maintaining political neutrality are paramount .
There is little doubt in my mind that , as municipal professionals , we have all been faced with situations where our commitment to professionalism and / or political neutrality has been challenged . In the politicized and very public environment in which we work , the recommendations and advice that we need to provide as qualified professionals are not always politically or publicly favoured . And while it may be tempting to take the easier path and mold our recommendations and advice so that they are more favourably received , doing so is a disservice to the municipal profession .
As professionals , it is incumbent on each of us to ensure that our actions on a daily basis reflect the high standards that are expected of municipal professionals and AMCTO members . I don ’ t for a moment think that any of you are not living up to these standards but I do think that we need to continue working on demonstrating to our politicians and the public that we act with integrity and professionalism every day . Acting in accordance with AMCTO ’ s Code of Ethics and Values may not exactly be “ for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams ,” but it is still a gold-medal worthy achievement .