VANCOUVER — Amid ethics complaints, Clark County Councilor Wil Fuentes has left Fourth Plain Forward, while Vancouver City Council Member Diana Perez faces fresh questions about whether she qualified for the nonprofit’s low-income business programs. Both officials are the subjects of formal ethics complaints filed by Reform Clark County founder Rob Anderson.
Councilor Wil Fuentes
On Wednesday (Oct. 14), Fourth Plain Forward Executive Director Paul Burgess confirmed in person that “Today is Wil’s last day.” Burgess did not say whether Fuentes resigned or was terminated.
Fuentes took office in January 2025 and, according to his own financial disclosures, reported $60,000–99,999 in income from Fourth Plain Forward in 2025 while simultaneously drawing his County Council salary. During that period, Fourth Plain Forward held two Clark County Community Development Block Grant contracts totaling $584,387 for 2025-26 — funding that Fuentes was directly involved in implementing as program manager.
The Clark County Charter Section 8.8 prohibits Council members from accepting “employment or compensation from any county contractor during a term of office.” Anderson notes that Fuentes’ departure does not erase the compensation already received while serving on the Council.
“For some reason, this blatant conflict was allowed to linger as Fuentes enriched himself as an employee of a County contractor,” Anderson said. “Leaving does not undo pay already accepted.”
Vancouver City Council Member Diana Perez
Perez co-owns Milky & Coco’s Kit-Tea Café. In an April 2026 podcast with Fuentes, she stated that the café’s loan “came through Fourth Plain Forward” and that “without Fourth Plain Forward we would not have been able to be where we are at.”
In May 2025, Perez made the motion and voted to approve $100,000 in city of Vancouver CDBG funds to Fourth Plain Forward for a business assistance program aimed at low- and moderate-income owners — households at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income. Perez also voted to approve FPF funding in 2024.
Her state Public Disclosure Commission filing, submitted April 14, 2026, close to the time she recorded the podcast with Fuentes, reports 2025 income ranging from $130,000 to $260,000. HUD’s 2025 80-percent AMI limit for a four-person household in the Vancouver area was $99,300.
“These are taxpayer funds specifically intended to help low-income people,” Anderson said. “Not six-figure earners who happen to have connections.”
As a result, another complaint detailing both situations was filed with the HUD Office of Inspector General on Monday (Oct. 12), which could lead to federal scrutiny and consequences for 24 CFR violations.
Status of complaints
Anderson began raising questions during public comment on Sept. 15 and later filed ethics complaints against both officials on Sept. 29 (Fuentes) and Oct. 6 (Perez). He submitted formal supplements on Oct. 12–13 after obtaining the County CDBG contracts and Perez’s income disclosure.
The city of Vancouver has confirmed in writing that the Perez complaint was forwarded to the city attorney on Oct. 6. Under city policy, the city attorney is required to “promptly” review the complaint and send it to the next regular City Council meeting. The next scheduled is Oct. 19. As of Wednesday, the matter does not appear on that agenda.
“Both of these officials owe the public straight answers about these taxpayer funds,” Anderson said. “A last day for Fuentes is a start — an admission this should never have been allowed — and Perez needs to explain how she qualified for programs reserved for low-income families.”
Next Reformcast episode 36 will bring new details of these developments.
Links to folders with complaints & supporting documents:
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