The increasing share of Logan County business that has gone to an electronics store owned by a county commissioner raises troubling questions about a conflict of interest.
Even though Commissioner Jim Edwards is not participating in the final vote on these county purchases, he has been involved in writing specifications for the projects.
Too many times his company was the sole bidder, or was selected despite not being the low bidder. Troubling indeed.
We think Edwards needs to put more space between his public role and his private business.
Of course, the letter of the law is important, but so is the spirit. Maintaining the public trust is an indispensable part of serving in office.
We would hope Edwards will consider this element of his covenant with constituents. They have a right to expect that their elected officials are not using their position to enrich themselves.
We’re not saying Edwards has done that. However, at the very least he has put himself in a position where outsiders can’t help but wonder what’s going on and if the process is rigged.
For instance, Edwards provided specifications for a surveillance system for the county’s administration building. It is a 22-camera setup that keeps watch on the premises.
The commissioner was the driving force in buying the system — and he also designed it. Competitors, who declined to bid on the $14,773 project, say Edwards specified a component in the bid request that was unavailable to them.
His company, New Age Electronics, got the job.
Edwards told The Denver Post’s David Olinger that he provided the bid specifications and gave advice on the surveillance system. However, he said he has stayed “totally away” from other requests for proposals that have come to New Age, and he refrains from voting on them as a commissioner.
Nevertheless, Olinger’s recent story spells out other examples of questionable purchases from Edwards’ store, including a $11,395 color copier. Another supplier told The Post he offered the county a choice of color copier for $1,500 to $4,600 less.
At least one other supplier told The Post he has quit bidding on county business because it seems a waste of time.
Colorado statutes prohibit government employees from performing official acts that benefit businesses in which they have an interest. The laws also forbid the misuse of official information to gain a financial interest in a transaction.
Did Edwards violate the law? We don’t have enough information to say, but the situation in Logan County clearly has raised questions of propriety that the county would do well to address.
