Sec. 374.908. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

(a) A public official or employee of a municipality, including an official or employee of an urban renewal agency that exercises urban renewal project powers for a municipality under Subchapter C or of any other municipal board or commission, may not voluntarily acquire any direct or indirect interest in an urban renewal project, in any property included or planned to be included in an urban renewal project or plan, or in any contract, or contract proposed, in connection with an urban renewal project.

(b) If the acquisition is not voluntary, the official or employee shall immediately disclose the acquisition of the interest in writing to the governing body of the municipality. The governing body shall enter the disclosure on its minutes. Not later than three months after the date on which the involuntary acquisition occurs, the official or employee shall either resign the position with the municipality or divest the interest.

(c) If the official or employee owns or controls any direct or indirect interest in property that the person knows is included or planned to be included in an urban renewal project, or if the official or employee owned or controlled any such interest at any time during the two-year period preceding the inclusion or planned inclusion of the property in an urban renewal project, the official or employee shall immediately disclose that fact in writing to the governing body of the municipality. The governing body shall enter the disclosure on its minutes. The official or employee may not participate in any action by the municipality or by the urban renewal agency that affects the property.

(d) Any required disclosure made under this section to the governing body of the municipality must also be made at the same time to the urban renewal agency that exercises urban renewal project powers under Section 374.021. A commissioner or other officer of an urban renewal agency or other board who exercises powers under this chapter may not hold any other public office with the municipality.

(e) A violation of this section is official misconduct.

Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.