Slush Funds, Conflicts Discussed at Transparency Forum

LAKE RIDGE, Va. — What played out as political theater earlier this year was revisited last night at a meeting of the Prince William Committee of 100.

At a panel discussion on transparency in local government, memories from a battle fought earlier this year to eradicate “discretionary funds” from the coffers of Prince William County Supervisors – about $335,000 in monies left over to each of the eight supervisors from the previous year’s budget  to fix sidewalks, streetlights, and donate to community causes – were rehashed.

“We missed an opportunity. A lot of people had concerns about discretionary funds, and people were having issues with trusting the Board of County Supervisors,” said Gainesville Supervisor Peter Candland.

He was the driving force behind the push to eradicate the funds, and to stop supervisors from providing funds to organizations like the Prince William County / Greater Manassas Boys and Girls Club which is already partially funded by the county budget.

In the end, the Board bent and did away with slush funds in June, but not before several amendments were made to Candland’s proposal – amendments that banned comp time and overtime for supervisors’ staff, and a rule that barred any supervisor from hiring someone who worked on their election campaign.

The motion passed with all of the amendments attached, and Candland was the only one who opposed. Shortly thereafter he fired his chief of staff, Reece Collins, because of the added amendments. Collins was later rehired by Candland after he vowed to fight the amendments.

Occoquan Supervisor Mike May, who serves on the Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors, said Candland’s proposal would have been good if the discretionary fund issue hadn’t already been addressed. He also said it would have excluded him and other supervisors who have community commitments from performing their jobs.

“I was on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club before I was on the Board of Supervisors, and it’s not right that I would have had to have chosen between voting on the [county] budget or serving on the Boys and Girls Club Board,” said May.

In the end, Candland’s proposed plan changed from requiring supervisors to recuse themselves from voting on an issue if there was a perceived conflict to having them simply disclose a potential conflict of interest – something Candland called a “watered down” version of his original plan.

May added officials are walking a dangerously thin line when they try to pass laws or resolutions that try to regulate the “appearance of propriety” on issues.

In recent years, Prince William County officials and senior county staff members said they have done more than what is required by the state to be more transparent in their actions. They post more content to the web, use disclosure forms that show if official is involved in an issue or with an organization that may have businesses before the Board or the county government.

Former Prince William County Attorney Sharon Pandak gave a briefing on disclosure rules Thursday night, and said the law comes down to two simple things: “Don’t take a bribe, and if you have a conflict, disclose it.”

Elected officials must disclose income over $10,000, business holdings, gifts of $50 or more, meetings held at a cost of $200 or more, among other rules.