Dear Editor,
All county council members in Grand County have the right to express their views to the citizens of Grand County and Utah. They also have a responsibility to the citizens to separate their personal opinions from the county council’s opinions, and to declare all relationships with members of industry or businesses that directly or indirectly provide them with a financial benefit.
Grand County rules clearly state that all council members need to separate personal opinions from the opinions of the county when speaking to the public. This usually requires a statement from the council member that says, “The following opinion is personal and does not represent the opinion of the Grand County Council.”
The State of Utah is very flexible about an official voting for or against issue that will affect their employers or personal financial incomes. In Grand County, council members have both a legal and moral responsibility to inform the public of their financial relationships with any industry that will benefit from their statements. A council member who declares a conflict of interest on a voting issue is required to remove himself/ herself from the council and may sit with the public.
The county council has the responsibility to reprimand any member who violates their responsibilities to the public.
