Recusal

For each request before the plan commission, individual commission members must decide for themselves whether their relationships or interests could bias their judgment or present an appearance of bias. We recommend that plan commission members use the “sniff test” when determining whether they are biased or impartial. If it would smell fishy for you to vote on the matter at hand, recuse yourself. Another way to determine if you are impartial and appear impartial is to think about whether you would be comfortable if the headline in your local newspaper described your background, your personal and professional relationships, and your participation or vote on the matter at hand. If you are unsure, you should discuss the matter with legal counsel.

If, as a plan commission member, you do not feel you can be and appear impartial in a given decision, the best approach is to recuse yourself. To recuse yourself, do not vote and do not have any discussion or involvement in the matter in question. We recommend that you physically remove yourself from the table where the plan commission is seated while the matter is discussed to make it clear you are not serving as a member of the commission. The meeting minutes should reflect that you have recused yourself. If you have recused yourself on the matter, you may offer testimony as a member of the public.

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