The specter of California’s strict but confounding conflict-of-interest law prohibiting public officials from profiting from their own agencies came up recently in regards to the Kern County Water Agency hiring its former board president as its general manager.

Lois Henry

SJV Water

Was it OK, under California Government Code Section 1090 for KCWA to hire Eric Averett as its general manager though he had served as board president while the position was being discussed for nearly four months?

A reader sent SJV Water several “advice letters” from the Fair Political Practices Commission that seem to suggest it may not have been OK.

Averett resigned his board seat Oct. 8 – which was not publicly announced – and was named as the agency’s new general manager on Oct. 23. The position comes wi

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