Flowery Branch has been recertified as a "City of Ethics."

The designation took place at the Georgia Municipal Association’s annual convention, which ended last Tuesday in Savannah.

Georgia has 207 cities with such an identification. The City of Ethics program began in 1999 and was developed by a panel of business and government leaders to encourage cities to adopt and stick to a set of key ethical principles and adopt a local ethics law.

The law must contain definitions, prohibited conduct and due process for officials accused of violations in areas such as financial disclosures, conflicts of interests and outside employment. It also must contain penalties.

This year, the Georgia Municipal Association began requiring cities with the designation to recertify, applying for recertification every four years.

Flowery Branch City Council voted April 15 to renew its ordinance, setting the number of ethics board members at five (from a pool of 12 residents) and adding the city manager as a member of the initial investigations panel, which also consists of three council members and the city attorney.

Cornelia, Dawsonville, Jefferson and Talmo also were recertified.