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Jim Marshall raises conflict-of-interest concern over selectman’s Board of Education tie; chair urges formal complaint
Summary
At a May 13 Willington selectmen special meeting, Jim Marshall accused a selectman of a potential conflict because the selectman’s spouse sits on the Board of Education and allegedly supports a tax increase. The chair urged Marshall to submit a written ethics complaint for formal review.
Jim Marshall, who identified himself as chair of the town’s capital projects-related committee, told the Board of Selectmen at its May 13 special meeting that he sees a conflict of interest in a selectman’s family ties to the Board of Education and what Marshall described as advocacy for a large tax increase.
"There's definitely a conflict of interest," Marshall said, urging the selectman to "excuse yourself from this conversation." Marshall presented the concern during the public present-to-speak portion of the meeting and repeated that he believed the relationship created an appearance problem for decisions tied to the budget.
The board’s presiding member rejected the ad hoc airing of ethics allegations in the meeting and told Marshall the town has a formal process for these concerns. "This is not how we air ethics or conflict of interest concerns," the chair said, instructing Marshall and others to "send an email, you send a letter, you stop in, you call, you make an official complaint" so the matter can be investigated and resolved.
The chair emphasized that any allegation should be investigated by an appropriate body rather than handled informally at a meeting, saying, "If there is an ethical or whatever conflict, it has to be addressed, it should be investigated, should be reported on." The chair also warned that persistent public theatrics could be ruled out of order if not accompanied by a formal filing.
Other participants debated whether family members serving on multiple local bodies necessarily create a disqualifying conflict. Some commenters said it is common for families to serve on different town committees and does not automatically indicate wrongdoing; others said the appearance of a conflict is concerning and should be formally reviewed.
The board did not take any formal disciplinary action at the meeting. The chair told attendees that if anyone has substantive evidence they should put it in writing so the town can investigate and either substantiate the claim or put it to rest.
The special meeting proceeded to agenda items about the budget after the exchange; no ethics complaint was filed on the record during the session.
