§ 1-234. Voting conflicts for members of county boards, authorities and commissions.

(a)

The Board of County Commissioners hereby finds and determines that there is an appearance of a conflict of interest within the intent of § 286.012, F.S. where a member of a county commission-created board, commission, or authority, also serves as an employee of a public entity, or as an officer or member of the board of directors of a private entity, which stands to specially gain or lose from action to be taken by the county board on which he or she serves.

(b)

In order to preserve the public's confidence in the fairness and objectivity of the County's boards and to avoid conflicts of interest, it is the policy of the Board of County Commissioners that members of such boards abstain from participation in discussion and voting on matters which would enure to the special gain or loss of any private entity for which they serve as an officer or member of its board of directors, or of any public entity for which they serve as an employee. Compliance with this policy shall be a condition of all board members' continued membership. Violation shall subject the board member to immediate removal by the Board of County Commissioners notwithstanding that the member may have been appointed by an appointing authority other than the Board of County Commissioners.

(c)

A special gain or loss means an economic benefit, either immediate or future, tangible or intangible, which is not merely remote or speculative, and which affects a relatively limited class of people.

(d)

The term "employee" for the purposes of this section shall not include any elected official of a public entity.

(e)

The voting conflict provision set forth in subsection (b) shall not apply to municipal employee members of the Committee for Community Development when voting on Community Development Block Grant Program Funds.

(f)

Procedures for implementation of this section shall be adopted by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners.

(Ord. No. 1997-44, § 1, 10-28-97; Ord. No. 1998-12, § 1, 5-12-98; Ord. No. 1999-47, § 1, 8-31-99)