Trustee may have to stay on bench in gym debate

Angelique Flores

Ocean View School District trustee Pam Ogdon has asked a former

attorney with the Fair Political Practices Commission to rule on whether

she has a conflict of interest in voting on the district’s middle school

gymnasium project.

Ogdon who lives near Spring View Middle School, recused herself from

“participation, discussion, and decisions that could involve Spring View”

at the study session on the gyms Tuesday night.

According to the government code, “No public official at any level of

state or local government shall make, participate in making or in any way

attempt to use his official position to influence a governmental decision

in which he knows or has reason to know he has a financial interest.”

Such an interest could lie in Ogdon’s property.

According to the government code, property in which an official has an

economic interest is any property located within 500 feet of its

boundaries.

Ogdon said she was advised last fall that because she would not have a

financial gain on her property, there was no conflict of interest.

She is awaiting a second legal opinion from the attorney Steven

Churchwell, a former Fair Political Practices Commission official who is

familiar with conflict-of-interest laws.

Still, some questioned whether or not Ogdon should have left the room

during the discussion Tuesday night.

“She’s already tainted the board by being in the discussions,”

resident Todd Emmons argues Emmons and another members of the

Neighborhoods for Education First met with Ogdon earlier this week about

her potential conflict.

Ogdon declined further comment until she hears the second legal

opinion, which is expected to come within 10 days.