But it does appear County Administrator George Touart has an ethics issue:
Here is the law:
(7)CONFLICTING EMPLOYMENT OR CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP.
(a)No public officer or employee of an agency shall have or hold any employment or contractual relationship with any business entity or any agency which is subject to the regulation of, or is doing business with, an agency of which he or she is an officer or employee, excluding those organizations and their officers who, when acting in their official capacity, enter into or negotiate a collective bargaining contract with the state or any municipality, county, or other political subdivision of the state; nor shall an officer or employee of an agency have or hold any employment or contractual relationship that will create a continuing or frequently recurring conflict between his or her private interests and the performance of his or her public duties or that would impede the full and faithful discharge of his or her public duties.
Touart’s employee leasing company had a contractual relationship with R.W. Beck who has/is/will do business with Escambia County. It appears to be clear violation to us…but again we’re not lawyers.