Las Cruces City Councilor Gil Jones will be allowed to vote tonight on annexation and master plan approval of The Vistas at Presidio.
Jones has disclosed in the past that his brother and the developer of the 6,000-acre project, Philip Philippou, are married to sisters, but said he doesn’t believe such a link should require him to abstain from voting. Councilor Ken Miyagishima asked near the start of tonight’s meeting that Mayor Bill Mattiace hold a vote of the council to determine whether Jones would be allowed to vote on the development later tonight.
City Attorney Fermin Rubio said councilors can only stop one of their peers from voting, according to the city charter, if they have a direct or indirect financial interest in an item on the agenda. When Jones said he has no personal financial interest, Mattiace said he wouldn’t call for a vote of the council, and would leave it up to Jones to decide whether to vote or abstain.
“Since the law of the charter does not require a vote, I don’t think I should jump out of the charter’s parameters,” Mattiace said.
Jones plans to vote.
“There is no private financial interest, neither direct nor indirect,” Jones said.