To the editor:
Questions were asked at a recent Leelanau County Board of Commissioners meeting about a possible conflict of interest. Thequestionwas raised because an individual wrote a proposal for state funding and included an administrative oversight of the grant for two members of the task force. This letter provides recommendations for thinking about the question immediately before the Board and a question likely to return in the future.
We start with an ethical assumption of good intentions among all involved. We also assume that funders will fund the best proposals. In asking if there is a conflict of interest, we might ask if the person who wrote the proposal is putting their professional reputation on the line. If selected for funding, we might then ask if the reputation and future opportunities of those involved will be influenced by how the project turns out.
A conflict of interest can also be about the value of the services to be provided. Does the salary reflect local rates for the position? Are there others to do the work? Does the proposed position support paying for a job search? Are family members likely to benefit? Honestly answering these questions will help us decide if the proposal provides a good value to the county. If there is a good value, then there is unlikely to be a conflict of interest.
Milton Eder Maple City
