EDITORIAL:Investigation of conflict is proper and neccessary

Those who know former Mayor and Councilman John Heffernan know what a maverick he is. Heffernan doesn’t march to the same drum as other politicians. He’s highly skeptical of their motives and he doesn’t mind saying so.

So it is a considerable accomplishment that Heffernan ascribes to local attorney Debra Allen that she was able to persuade him to change his vote on whether a city hall should be built on the vacant land near the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and East Coast Highway, land that is now slated to be a passive park.

Allen, a parks, beaches and recreation commissioner, has now come under scrutiny as the city questions if she had a conflict of interest in discussing that parcel.

The reason? City measurements show she lives within 500 feet, and state law says that could pose a conflict.

Allen, a strong proponent of the passive park, insists that’s not true and she has appraisals showing her property would not gain any appreciation with a park being built there.

But Heffernan wants another opinion.

He insists he spoke to Allen in September of 2005 and she convinced him to change his vote on the park issue.

“I’m saying if there was a conflict and she shouldn’t have been talking to me, then we’ve got a problem,” he told our reporter. “She was very influential on me and made me change my position on something that is often cited by the current council as something they can’t go back on.”

With that in mind, Heffernan has asked the state Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate Allen’s potential conflict.

That’s the right thing to do.

There are some who accuse us of slinging mud at and attacking Allen for no good reason.

That could not be further from the truth.

Allen is a well-respected community leader who has done much for her beloved city in her role as a parks commissioner and leader of Speak Up Newport, a civic group that regularly meets on city issues.

We commend her for that.

But we also believe that government decisions need to be made without even a hint of conflict. Decisions need to be made keeping the highest levels of ethics and integrity in mind. Doing otherwise only lessens the respect the voting public has for its elected officials. And her role in pushing for that park raises questions that need to be answered.

Seeking a ruling from the Fair Political Practices Commission may look like an attack on Allen, but it is the correct thing to do to ensure that the council can move forward on this issue with a clean slate.

We hope to see a resolution soon.