Councilman raises conflict-of-interest concern; mayor tables Henderson Street annexation

A proposed annexation of three houses on Henderson Street stalled at the start of the Montpelier Common Council's Aug. 10 meeting after Councilman Travis Sills said Mayor Brad Neff had a conflict of interest in the matter.

The exchange opened the meeting, during a public hearing on the annexation. Sills told Neff the conflict was "with you specifically," saying the mayor's family and business own dwellings on the street and that another party to the annexation is employed by Neff. When Sills said the mayor's family or business owned the houses, Neff answered, "Not all of them."

Sills asked whether Neff had filed a conflict-of-interest disclosure. Neff said he had filed a conflict-of-interest form. Sills said the disclosure needed to cover this specific matter and told the mayor he "should have done that."

The two also disagreed over who should pay the legal costs of a voluntary annexation. Sills said property owners who ask to be annexed have paid the legal fees themselves in past annexations. Neff said the city should cover those costs, calling the addition of new residents an asset to the community and saying the city should encourage annexation "in any way possible."

Neff tied the push to the city's population, which he said is near the 1,500 mark. Dropping below that level, he said, would reduce the city's access to grants. He estimated that a prior annexation — which he identified as the John Lancaster annexation — cost about $1,000 to $1,500 in legal fees. The Henderson Street proposal involves three houses, which the council discussed as a single legal matter.

Councilman John Morgan said the council should confirm what paperwork is required before moving forward. Morgan said the item "can wait a month" and that the city should avoid something that "can come back and bite us later."

Neff said he would check into the conflict-of-interest question and the legal fees. He then closed the hearing on the Henderson Street annexation and said the item would be postponed.