No member of the Council shall vote on a proposal or resolution if he or she has a legal conflict of interest. A legal conflict of interest means a conflict as defined by applicable statutory and case law. Any possible legal conflict. of interest on the part of a member shall be declared before discussion commences on the agenda item in question. If it is unclear whether a member has a legal conflict of interest, the question shall be referred to County Counsel for determination of whether the member has a legal conflict of interest, and, if so, to what extent the member may participate, if at all, in the discussion and voting on the agenda item.
In addition, when a member does not have a legal conflict of interest in an agenda item, but her or his participation in discussion and voting on that agenda item would create an appearance of impropriety, the member shall not participate in the voting or discussion of that agenda item. (§ 2, Ord. 771, eff. March 24, 1977, and § 12, Ord. 1084A, eff. December 22, 1988, as amended by § 10, Ord. 1169, eff. June 16, 1994)