Does Jane have a conflict of interest in this situation?

Jane Smith, a licensed professional, is a consulting engineer working in a small town. Jane also sits on Town Council as are elected councillor, which she considers to be a part-time Job in order to help the community. For the last year, lane has been working with a developer who Is proposing a new asphalt mix for road resurfacing to help reduce the number of potholes on town roads. During a regular town council meeting where the developer’s proposal was discussed, Jane publicly stated her involvement with the developer’s project, did not participate in the debate, and abstained from voting. However, everyone knows that Jane is the only consulting engineer in town and has the most knowledge and expertise with this type of project.

Does Jane have a conflict of interest in this situation?
A . Yes, because Jane should not have worked with the developer on the new asphalt mix while she serves as an elected town councillor.
B . No. Because Jane fully disclosed her Business relationship with the developer at the council meeting and refrained from participating in the formal vote.
C . No. because Jane only works part-time as an elected councillor for the town in order to help out the community while her full-time job Is as a consultant.
D . Yes. because Jane is the only consulting engineer in town with the knowledge and expertise for this type of project and can Influence how council members vote.

View Answer

Answer: B

Explanation:

Jane does not have a conflict of interest in this situation because she fully disclosed her business relationship with the developer at the council meeting and refrained from participating in the debate and voting. This action aligns with professional ethics and conflict of interest guidelines, which require transparency and abstention from decision-making processes when a potential conflict exists. By declaring her involvement and abstaining from the vote, Jane adhered to the ethical standards expected of professionals in positions of public trust, thus mitigating any conflict of interest.