Legislator raises concerns after county executive’s conflict-of-interest letter; county office says letter was sent out of ‘professional respect’

At its April 28 meeting, the Jackson County Legislature heard an extended exchange after Legislator Barca said he received a letter from the County Executive’s Office alleging potential conflicts of interest related to his outside affiliations and board memberships.

Barca read from materials and described the letter as “speculative,” saying it singled him out and was not previously vetted by the county’s general counsel. "So a speculative letter was drafted, written, shared with me about my alleged violations but not previously vetted by the General Counsel's office," Barca said, adding the letter had not been provided to other legislators and that he feared it was being used to intimidate him.

A county representative from the County Executive’s Office, Mr. Clifford, told the Legislature the letter was shared with Barca and was CC'd to the chair out of "professional respect for the office in which you hold" and that it was not intended as a press release or to discredit him. "As to the reason why the letter was not shared with the entirety of the legislature, I think that it was out of professional respect for the office in which you hold and so there were not an attempt to discredit you," Clifford said.

Barca said the letter referenced contract negotiations and the building trades’ point person, and that it implied Barca had improperly involved himself. He provided a list of his employer, the Fair Contracting Alliance of Kansas City, and materials indicating that the group is not a union. Barca also raised employee-safety concerns and suggested the letter had chilled conversations about safety and negotiations. "What I'm hearing from workers on the front line is the administration and the directors within it are directly avoiding conversations surrounding safety," Barca said.

When asked whether the county executive had secondary employment, Clifford said, "Not that I'm aware of." Barca noted that the Kansas City Monarchs’ website listed the county executive in a team role; Clifford said he did not believe the executive was employed by the team and suggested the listing may be promotional.

During the exchange, someone identified as General Counsel responded that the legal office had been aware of the letter: "Consultation, we were aware of it. I guess that's what I was saying." Clifford said staff remained in contact with negotiating parties and that a staff meeting on negotiations was scheduled.

No formal action was taken at the meeting on the matter; Barca said he would pursue legal options outside the chamber. The exchange took place during the Legislature’s communications and reports portion of the agenda while the County Executive was not present at the meeting.

Barca’s remarks and the county response highlight internal questions among legislators about how the executive branch communicates concerns about potential conflicts and how those communications are distributed to the Legislature.

The Legislature moved on to other agenda items after the exchange, including committee reports and ordinance introductions.