23 Feb 2010
La Plata County Commissioner Wally White has a conflict of interest in deliberations on proposed Grandview connection
As a resident who owns real estate on High Lama Lane, Chairman County Commissioner Wally White has a fiduciary conflict of interest because his vote in favor of extending the road with the Grandview connection could result in the paving of the road. Such a road improvement from dirt to asphalt where he lives would conceivably result in the property value of his home increasing or changing value. An approved Grandview connection could also change the value of his home upon condemnation proceedings if the county were to purchase his land from him in the event of widening the road through his neighborhood.
A fiduciary gain resulting from a vote of confidence on his behalf for the Grandview connection—whether conceptual or contractual—would be an actual conflict of interest. Although such fiduciary gains or losses would not be immediate upon his endorsement of the Grandview connection, they could happen upon a future appraisal of his property, where other variables in the housing market might also take effect.
It’s in the interest of the Horse Gulch Blog to document and post this information whether it benefits or hurts the cause of preserving open space in the greater Grandview Ridge area. In order to fully understand and help others to understand this topic, we need to put all this out where people can read and decide for themselves what is ethical.
