Jeffco Commissioner Kevin McCasky proposed an increase of $20,000 in the county's contribution to the Jefferson Economic Council last year while he was a candidate for the private economic development organization's top job, the Columbine Courier has learned.
McCasky's application for the high-paying JEC position was under consideration in November when the county's 2011 budget was revised to increase JEC funding from $380,000 to $400,000 - as McCasky urged his fellow commissioners to boost Jeffco's contribution while the county itself was facing significant budget cuts.
McCasky, who was named in January to succeed Preston Gibson after Gibson resigned as JEC president last year, says he sees no conflict of interest in his actions. The commissioner, leaving office this week to begin his job at the JEC, says funding the economic council has been a consistent practice in each year of his tenure as a commissioner.
"It is clearly a conflict of interest when a person in government rolls a vote on a budget for an organization for (which) he is seeking employment," said Colorado Common Cause executive director Jenny Flanagan. Despite any history of previous advocacy for the organization's budget, an interest in employment with the organization is problematic, she said.
"That's all fine up until he participates in the application for employment," Flanagan said...
... The JEC - which typically receives the majority of its funding from Jeffco's general fund and gets more than twice as many dollars from Jeffco as any other organization - submits a proposed budget annually to the county. The proposed budget for 2011 was $380,000.
Former county commissioner Kathy Hartman, who was defeated by Don Rosier in the November election, said the JEC approached the commissioners about a funding increase but confirmed that McCasky actively lobbied her and Commissioner Faye Griffin for the boost.
