CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It was a busy night for Charlotte City Council from getting a COVID-19 update, to police brutality demands, and homelessness before the Republican National Convention comes to town.
But it was a question about a potential conflict of interest that dominated the meeting.
It had to do with Councilman Tariq Bokhari, who represents district six.
He's the founder of Carolina Fintech Hub, which was seeking $1.5 million from the city through the CARES Act to train 90 people for tech jobs. Currently, those people are out of work.
Some council members thought this created a conflict of interest though and sought counsel from the city attorney Monday night.
The back and forth lasted for roughly three hours.
City Attorney Patrick Baker said so long as Councilman Bokhari excused himself from any vote regarding the funding, it would not legally be a conflict of interest.
Bokhari argued his nonprofit has helped hundreds in the community in the tech industry, and the funding and training is crucial during these COVID-19 times when so many are looking for jobs.
Other council members, including Councilwoman Dimple Ajmera said it would give the city a bad look and would damage its integrity.
13 constituents emailed the city attorney about their own concerns and it could prompt an investigation.
"I believe that very soon a valid complaint will be in front of my desk that will trigger my responsibility to seek an independent investigator to review the particular matter," said Baker.
Ultimately the discussion created a headache for city leaders, filled with motions and substitute motions that both passed and failed.
Council voted to take a look at the city's Code of Ethics to see if it needs to be changed or updated.
Council members also decided to take the issue back to the committee and come up with a program to train 90 people for tech jobs, where other entities could compete for the funding and the mission based on their ability to do so.
However, according to the motion that was passed, Carolina Fintech Hub will be excluded.