Montana § 7-5-4109 - Control Of Conflict Of Interest

§ 7-5-4109. Control Of Conflict Of Interest

Control of conflict of interest. (1) The mayor, any member of the council, any city or town officer, or any relative or employee of an enumerated officer may not be directly or indirectly interested in the profits of any contract entered into by the council while the officer is or was in office. (2) The governing body of a city or town may waive the application of the prohibition contained in subsection (1) for a city or town officer or employee, or to the relative of an officer or employee, if in an official capacity the officer or employee does not influence the decisionmaking process or supervise a function regarding the contract in question. A governing body may grant a waiver under this subsection only after publicly disclosing the nature of the conflict at an advertised public hearing held for that purpose. In determining whether to grant a waiver, the governing body shall consider the following factors, where applicable: (a) whether the waiver would provide to a program or project a significant benefit or an essential skill or expertise that would otherwise not be available; (b) whether an opportunity was provided for open competitive bidding or negotiation; (c) whether the person affected is a member of a clearly identified group of persons that is the intended beneficiary of the program or project involved in the contract; and (d) whether the hardship imposed on the affected person or the governmental entity by prohibiting the conflict will outweigh the public interest served by avoiding the conflict.