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Bel Air commissioners say staff should serve as liaisons, not board members, amid Visit Harford dispute
Summary
Commissioners expressed concern about town staff occupying board seats at Visit Harford and similar organizations and directed staff to request removal from Visit Harford’s board roster while retaining municipal liaison functions.
BEL AIR, Md. — Town commissioners on April 7 discussed whether municipal staff should serve on the boards of outside organizations after litigation and payment disputes involving Visit Harford highlighted potential conflicts of interest.
During miscellaneous business the board reviewed the status of Angela (last name not specified), identified in town materials as the municipal liaison to Visit Harford. Commissioners said a municipal liaison role is appropriate but that town employees should not hold a board-director seat for a private nonprofit while representing the town, because board membership can impose duties and confidentiality that conflict with public-office responsibilities.
Commissioners noted the town declined to sign Visit Harford membership documents that included nondisclosure agreements and ethics statements that would supersede municipal ethics rules. Several commissioners said they prefer staff remain as nonvoting liaisons to organizations the town partners with but that staff should not be listed as board members on outside organizations’ public rosters.
The board directed staff to ask Visit Harford to remove the town employee’s name from its board listing while retaining the municipal liaison connection. Commissioners said they do not intend to sever collaboration; several members emphasized continuing liaison relationships with groups such as the Downtown Alliance and Rockfield but avoiding the governance role of a board member.
The item was handled as direction rather than a formal vote; staff said they would follow up with a letter of resignation from the board and work to keep liaison participation and information-sharing intact.
