Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Resolving a conflict of interest
From the RoundTable blog
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Alvin L. Nash
Nash is a member of Roanoke City Council.
There have been several misunderstandings related to conflicts of interest and my recent appointment to city council.
I knew that if selected I would have a conflict of interest because my firm, Blue Ridge Housing Development Corp., has been receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds passed through the city of Roanoke for many years. However, I did not discuss any conflicts with other members of council -- nor did any other candidates discuss any conflicts they may have had -- before my selection because this is not required of candidates prior to being selected or running for public office.
The city has a strict policy in handling conflicts of interest. Generally, a council member will publicly acknowledge the conflict of interest and then abstain from voting or discussing the issue with other council members or city staff. This ensures that the conflict of interest is out in the open and does not interfere with the member's ability to serve the public interest.
On April 8, I began my two-year term on council. After I was selected, it was discovered that HUD would not permit my agency to receive pass-through funds during my tenure on council even if I followed the conflict of interest rules as with all other council members. I researched exceptions to HUD's policy and discussed the issue with Mayor Nelson Harris, the city attorney and my board of directors. We agreed to formally request an exception from HUD; the request had to be made by the city.
The HUD exception would have allowed me to handle the conflict of interest within the city's normal rules of conduct. Although we made a good case, HUD denied the request. My options at that point were to step down from council, step down as president of Blue Ridge Housing or do without the HUD funds while I served on city council. I decided to forgo the HUD funds.
My main concern is that there are many citizens who did not understand what happened and I want to try and clear up a few issues:
n I did not know prior to being selected to council that HUD would not allow my agency to receive funds even if we followed the conflict-of-interest rules.
n The Blue Ridge Housing board of directors unanimously voted to forgo the HUD funds during my tenure on council. They are in full support of my serving on council and looking at alternative funding options for the agency. There are many people who also appreciate the sacrifice and have provided me much support.
n Roanoke will not lose any of its pass-through HUD funds as a result of my decision. Those funds will be administered by other agencies and no services will be cut. The city has submitted its plan for the coming year to HUD for the full amount of funding that had been anticipated prior to my decision. Approval of the plan is expected.
n Blue Ridge Housing will continue to work on several housing projects that were under way prior to my appointment to council. We will continue to provide housing services, homeownership education and neighborhood revitalization services to Roanoke, Salem, Roanoke County and surrounding areas. I hope to make funding a regional affordable housing plan one of my main concerns while serving on council.
A government for the people should always be by and of the people it serves. Government should be designed so that anyone can serve regardless of his background or occupation. Members of council clearly should never seek an advantage over others, but instead abide by the rules of fair play and good stewardship. In addition, a person should not be precluded from serving simply because he is involved in the community in which he serves.
I have been in the public service nonprofit field for more than 25 years; in this capacity, I have helped many people. Serving on council is a privilege and an opportunity to share my experiences on another level. It is also a great responsibility that I take very seriously. My interest is to serve my community to the best of my ability. I hope there's no conflict with that policy.
