DeJohn Asks Council to Waive Morris’ Conflict of Interest

CENTRAL —  At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Councilman Louis DeJohn proposed a resolution to waive a conflict of interest of City Attorney Sheri Morris.

According to the resolution, Morris has a conflict of interest because she represents the City of Central in negotiations to select a contractor to run the City, while an attorney associated with her firm represents the Shaw Group, which is one of the possible bidders.

DeJohn said neither Morris nor the attorney for the Shaw Group had a problem with the conflict of interest and he wanted the Council to go on record as ratifying the conflict.  But Councilmen Tony LoBue, Wayne Messina, and Ralph Washington wanted nothing to do with the resolution.

Messina said the Mayor has been the one moving forward with the Requests for Proposals, and he would have to be the one to ratify the conflict of interest, not the City Council.  Privately, after the meeting, one Councilman said, “The Mayor is doing everything in his power to keep the Council from having a voice in the selection of a new City Contractor.  Then suddenly he wants us to ratify the City Attorney’s conflict of interest.”

During the Council meeting, Central resident Mike Mannino said the problem will not be with the City or the Shaw Group but with another contractor who objected to the conflict of interest.  “You are opening up the City to possible litigation,” he said.

DeJohn withdrew the resolution.