Opinion

POLL: Our question: When a council member votes to fund a nonprofit they have personally benefited from, what should happen?

Complaints against Clark County and Vancouver City officials raise questions about conflicts of interest in nonprofit funding decisions

By Clark County Today · October 15, 2026

Formal ethics complaints filed against Clark County Councilor Wil Fuentes and Vancouver City Council Member Diana Perez have renewed debate over what safeguards should exist when elected officials vote to fund nonprofits they have personally benefited from. Fuentes, who reported between $60,000 and $99,999 in income from Fourth Plain Forward while the nonprofit held $584,387 in County contracts he helped implement, has since departed the organization. Perez, who co-owns a café that received a loan through Fourth Plain Forward, voted to approve city funds for the same nonprofit. A complaint has also been filed with the HUD Office of Inspector General, raising the possibility of federal scrutiny.

Our question: When a council member votes to fund a nonprofit they have personally benefited from, what should happen?

This poll relates to our earlier coverage: Clark County Councilor Wil Fuentes out at Fourth Plain Forward.

This week’s reader poll

When a council member votes to fund a nonprofit they have personally benefited from, what should happen?

Complaints against Clark County and Vancouver City officials raise questions about conflicts of interest in nonprofit funding decisions

They should be required to recuse themselvesFull public disclosure should be mandatoryAn independent review should be triggeredCurrent ethics rules are adequate

0 votes

This is an unscientific poll reflecting the opinions of participating readers, not a representative survey.

POLL: Our question: When a council member votes to fund a nonprofit they have personally benefited from, what should happen?

When a council member votes to fund a nonprofit they have personally benefited from, what should happen?

Related Coverage

Opinion: ‘Public office is a public trust’

Ethics complaints charge Diana Perez and Wil Fuentes over Fourth Plain Forward ties

Opinion: The County Charter shows that Councilor Fuentes must resign Fourth Plain Forward or County Council

Opinion: $4 Million for housing, but only a few were helped — While Councilor Fuentes and Fourth Plain Forward benefit

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