Congratulations on raising the issue of the obvious conflict of interest with interim Lancaster County Convention Center Authority executive director, Art Morris, a longtime Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. columnist, representing the public to Penn Square Partners. Your readers undoubtedly know that half of Penn Square Partners is Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.
This should be unacceptable to the public, and it tarnishes Morris’s reputation as an ‘above-reproach’ public figure.
Whether Kevin Fry (not my choice) or Laura Douglas (my choice) represents the board, it certainly should not be in the hands of Mr. Morris, who has done the bidding for Penn Square Partners since at least 1999, and is a defendant, along with Lancaster Newspapers, in a libel lawsuit on the topic of coverage of the $170+million project.
Another LCCCA board member defends Morris’s involvement in these discussions with Penn Square Partners, saying the discussions are non-binding and preliminary. If that is the case, there is no reason that Morris should not immediately recuse himself. If they are so unimportant, why should Morris insist on representing the taxpayers in talks with his employer? Why have the appearance of a conflict of the public interest? Certainly, the very able Ms. Douglas can represent the public’s interest as well as Mr. Morris. Why does Mr. Morris insist on negotiating with Lancaster Newspapers, his boss?
Morris must do the right thing and let another board member speak with Penn Square Partners. Let’s see what virtuous ol’ Art will do.
