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Food and Refreshments
Prohibited Sources
Gifts
Tickets
Travel
Gifts
What is the dollar limit on gifts?
The City of Atlanta prohibits personal gifts to individual officials or employees. This rule means that companies may not give, and city employees may not receive, gifts from a prohibited source.
What should I do with gifts that I am sent?
You may return the gift, pay fair market value for it, or donate the gift to a charity without taking any tax deduction. You need to inform the giver of your donation.
I would like to return the gift, but I don't know how to without offending the giver.
Here is one employee's thank you note that you can follow:
Thank you very much for your holiday greetings. We have enjoyed our working relationship with [company's name] this year. We appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness by sending us the gift cards, but though your intent surely springs from the spirit of the season, City policy prohibits us from accepting gifts of this nature. Please understand why we can’t accept your gift. This being the case, and since [Jim] and I believe there are many in the City who have great needs at this time of year, we have donated the gift cards to the Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry Campaign in your names.
What is the holiday gift rule?
If a city official orr employee receives a gift that is perishable and has a nominal market value, the individual may accept the gift on behalf of the city agency and share it with other employees and public visitors.
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Prohibited Sources
How do I know if a company is a prohibited source?
There is no registry of prohibited sources. Whether a particular individual, business, or entity is a prohibited source depends on the person or entity, its relationship to the City, and the action it seeks from the City. A prohibited source includes a person or company that is doing business with the City, is currently seeking the city’s business, is actively promoting or opposing city legislation, has a matter pending before a city agency, or is registered as a lobbyist with the State Ethics Commission.
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Food and Refreshments
May city employees attend a party hosted by a company that does business with the city?
It depends on whether the party is a public or private one. City employees and officials may accept reasonable meals when they appear in an official capacity at a public, civic, charitable or non-profit ceremony or event, such as a reception, banquet, or awards ceremony, even when a city contractor or vendor sponsors the event.
A city contractor wants to host a party for city employees who worked on a project. Can we accept?
No. A private party for city employees does not fall within the exception for reasonable meals "at a public, civic, charitable or non-profit cerement, event, convention or conference."
After a sales presentation, may I accept a vendor's offer to pay for my lunch?
No. You must pay for your own lunch. The Code of Ethics allows city employees and officials to accept lunch from a prohibited source only if it is offered at a public event.
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Tickets
May I accept tickets to a baseball game from a consulting firm that is conducting a traffic study which will come before me and the City for approval?
No. City officials and employees may not accept tickets to a professional sports event that are given to them due to their position with the City.
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Travel
A city vendor has offered to pay my air fare for me to participate as a speaker on a conference panel about how we used their software on a city project. May I accept?
Yes. A city employee may accept reimbursements from a prohibited source for travel expenses to teach, give a speech, participate on a professional panel, or attend a conference. The gift must be publicly disclosed on an online report in the Electronic Filing System.
A vendor bidding on a city job wants to pay for engineers in our department to visit a supplier’s factory in the Midwest to evaluate equipment proposed for a water treatment plant. May we accept?
No. The proposed trip does not fall within any permissible exception for travel reimbursement. The City of Atlanta needs to pay for your business trip.
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