Potential conflicts of interest for council candidates?

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With election season in full swing, a couple questions have been raised to me in recent weeks about potential conflicts of interest for two of the Clark County District 2 candidates.

The first is with Democrat ChuckGreen, who is the Bus Rapid Transit project manager at C-Tran. It’s no secret that the current council is skeptical of the BRT. Councilor David Madore, a Republican running for Clark County council chair, has been one of the most vocal opponents of the project. Furthermore, members of the Clark County council sit on the C-Tran board.

I asked Green—who, knowing him, will likely chime in on this post as well—what his game plan is to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest if he’s elected.

“If the council is voting on something related to BRT, I may consider recusing myself,” he said. “I have already decided to not put my name in for consideration to be appointed to the C-TRAN Board as long as I am a C-TRAN employee.  Once I leave C-TRAN, then I would put my name in the hat.”

The second candidate is Republican Mary Benton, whose husband is Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, the director of Clark County’s Department of Environmental Services. Mary Benton is unconcerned about the possible issue.

“I do not foresee a conflict in voting on operational decisions concerning DES,” Mary Benton said. “Of course I would recuse myself in any matter that would personally involve Don.”

We’ve reported both of these connections before, but it’s unclear whether either potential conflicts will be legal issues. My requests for comment to the Clark County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney’s Office went unanswered.

Also in the District 2 race are Democrat Mike Pond, Republican Julie Olson and Tanner Martin, who is running without party affiliation.