Saugus charter board discusses conflicts of interest

SAUGUS – After two Town Meeting members were permitted to vote on their own jobs, conflict of interest has become a hot topic for the Charter Commission.The Charter Commission developed its stance on conflict of interest long before last week’s special Town Meeting, but Commission Chairman Peter Manoogian said it seems to have spurred people to comment.The commission has not yet reached an official census on the issue, but it has agreed that there needs to be a provision for it.Manoogian said the belief among members is that there needs to be oversight so people couldn’t vote on matters they or their family might have a financial interest in.Manoogian said the group is leaning toward prohibiting workers employed by the town from serving on the legislative body.While the ethics segment of the new charter is still under construction, the commission did reach a consensus on one aspect.Number 16 on the list of consensus areas would essentially bar anyone from quitting an elected position to take job with the town without first sitting out for a cooling off period.Manoogian said the time out is shaping up to look like two years.He also said he has no doubt the conflict of interest issue will cause a lot of debate. He favors the idea of prohibiting town employees from serving because he said it would result in a pure legislature.If the new legislature is made up solely of citizens with no employees, it takes away any pressure that might exist for members to vote, for instance, in line with the Town Manager.Town Moderator Robert Long agreed areas of conflict of interest will be a big issue.Before each annual Town Meeting Long hands out a reminder to members. The reminder is an opinion written a number of years ago that urges meeting members not to vote on issues or budgets that directly affect them or their family. Even he will admit, however, that it is rare that anyone heeds the missive.A case in point would be the Oct. 27 special Town Meeting where meeting members Angelo Serino and Ellen Faiella voted on an article that approved funding for their civilian Police Department jobs. Four other police officers also voted on the article.Long noted that the article would have passed even if all of them had abstained.Faiella could not be reached for comment.Town Meeting member Raymond Lawrence was surprised his colleagues did not abstain from voting on the article because he did. Lawrence said he declined to vote because his wife works for the Fire Department. He said he’s aware it’s a tenuous connection but he said for appearances sake, he was more comfortable abstaining.Lawrence said he is not sure the town would ever achieve Manoogian’s idea of a pure legislative body. He said he feels someone serving on the elected body will always have some sort of tie, which is why he also believes that if anyone with any connection to an article – be it financial or familial – should abstain.”You should get up and leave for that vote,” he said. “It’s a matter of character. I think people should have faith in their (colleagues).”