The Purchasing Department is specifically governed by Division 6. "Ethics in Public Contracting" (see the City Code Section of this Manual). The Department and City employees are also subject to the Virginia Conflicts of Interest Act. Additionally, the department endorses and affirms the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) Code of Ethics.

The Purchasing Department seeks not only to avoid any impropriety, but even the appearance of an impropriety. For this reason, employees are expected to uphold the highest professional standards in conducting the City's business, including:

• People holding a position in a public purchasing agency are in full accord with the professional principles of public purchasing and are confident that they are qualified to serve under these principles to the advantage of the public jurisdiction which employs them.
• They believe in the dignity and worth of the service rendered by government and of their own social responsibility as trusted public servants.
• They are governed by the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public and personal relationships in order that they may merit the respect and inspire the confidence of the agency and of the public which they serve.
• They believe that personal aggrandizement or personal profit obtained through misuse of personal relationships is dishonest.
• They believe members of the Institute and its staff should at no time, or under any circumstance, accept, directly or indirectly, gifts or other things of value from vendors.
• They keep the public jurisdiction which employs them informed, through appropriate channels, on problems and progress of the agency which they serve, but keep themselves in the background by emphasizing the importance of the facts.
• They resist encroachment on their control of personnel in order to preserve their integrity as professional administrators. They handle all personnel matters on a merit basis. Political, religious, and racial considerations carry no weight personnel administration in the agency which they direct or serve.
• They do not seek or dispense personal favors. They handle each administrative problem objectively, without discrimination, on the basis of principle and justice.
• They subscribe to and support the professional objectives of the NIGP.
• They recognize that their purchasing activities are of public interest and a matter of public record, and so conduct their operations that all actions can be fully substantiated and legally defended in accordance with the awarding authority of the agency which they serve. To this end they maintain adequate records on all purchases as to class of purchase, prices paid, source of supply, and justification of award. However, they shall not disclose any information which might be detrimental to the public interest.