In Reply to: Re: MR MAYOR posted by Big Brother on January 24, 2006 at 00:23:33:

It's not just that officials sign the declaration, though. They also have to step back and declare a conflict of interest whenever they deal with something or make a decision about an issue that could be deemed to benefit them because of their ownership of land, their spouses or children's business interests, etc.

Setting policy for disposal of land, building on land, buying and selling land when this is also your bread and butter business to my eyes is a glaringly massive conflict of interest.

They should not vote on anything to do with county development plans. Neither should they take part in any committees that discuss anything to do with rezoning, land, scenery policy, roads, sewage pipes, footpaths, etc., etc. – in short anything that could be remotely be regarded as affecting the value of land or property anywhere in the county. They work at a high level and thus the highest level of transparency and ethical behaviour is required. Before we elect executive mayors there is a long way to go in terms of persuading me that we would not be a lot worse off than the current situation by so doing.

Council arts policy would be acceptable but it's difficult to think of other council-related activities that would not be regarded as a conflict of interest?

And apologies to those who find it all so boring (see yawn below somewhere).