Community Corner

Concerns Raised By Manassas City Councilman Mark Wolfe's Vote

Report: Members of the council are asking questions after Wolfe voted to give thousands to an organization where he and his wife work.

A vote to give $23,000 of Manassas city money to a ballet theatre led by a councilman and his wife is raising questions from other council members, according to a Washington Post report.

On Monday, Councilman Mark Wolfe voted along with three other councilmen in favor of a $148,000 package to fund local fine arts groups including the Manassas ballet. The vote passed 4-2.

Wolfe is the unpaid executive director of the Manassas City Ballet, and his wife is the paid artistic director of the company.

Councilman Marc Aveni and Mayor Hal Parrish II , who only votes to break ties, have consulted city attorney Michael Vanderpool to see if any Virginia conflict of interest laws were broken by Wolfe voting.

Wolfe told the Post there is no conflict because the funding was a package deal and he couldn't chose not to vote on just the part concerning the ballet.

Read the rest of the Washington Post report here.

What do you think? Was Councilman Wolfe's votes a conflict of interest? Tell us in the comments. 


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