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Plan or program · on the record since 2025 · discussed in 9 transcribed meetings

Conflict of Interest

The City of Fairfax has been engaged in an ongoing, multi-front effort to address conflict of interest policies at both the statutory and best-practices levels.

in progress

The Park Foundation is a new city park foundation being established to raise supplemental funding for parks capital projects and other park-related needs. City Council provided $50,000 in seed money (confirmed by July 2025) to cover legal review, website design, and donor management software.

  • Jul 10, 2025Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · item 7a
    Foundation Director Applications

    A potential conflict of interest was discussed regarding Nicholas Prosini serving as both Foundation Director applicant and incoming COA liaison to PRAB; a special meeting was scheduled to address it.

    passedMotion to recommend James Hickman's appointment to the Park Foundation.
    minutesagenda
Other mentions
  • Jun 28, 2025City Council · item 2
    Code of Conduct for Mayor and Council and Boards and Commissions; Social Media Best Practices; Conflict of Interest

    Scheduled for discussion on conflict of interest policies. No outcome recorded.

    agenda
  • Jan 13, 2026City Council · item 7d
    Public Hearing and Council Action on an Ordinance Amending Chapter 2 (Administration) – Required Financial Disclosures / Conflict of Interest

    An ordinance was enacted to update City Code provisions to conform with the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act, clarifying financial disclosure requirements and updating deadlines and penalties.

    passedEnact the ordinance amending Chapter 2 (Administration), Article III (Officers and Employees), Division 2 (Disclosure of Interests), pertaining to required financial disclosures by certain enumerated officers and employees of the city
    ✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson
    minutesagenda

In full

The city's existing code includes financial disclosure requirements for certain officers and employees under Chapter 2, drawing on the authority of Virginia's State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act (COIA). A June 2025 Council Retreat included conflict of interest policy on its agenda alongside Code of Conduct and Social Media Best Practices, though no outcome was recorded. A July 2025 PRAB meeting surfaced a specific conflict of interest concern regarding Nicholas Prosini, who was simultaneously a Foundation Director applicant and incoming COA liaison to PRAB, prompting a special meeting before any vote on him.

On January 13, 2026, the Council unanimously enacted an ordinance amending Chapter 2 to conform city code with the COIA: it updated the list of enumerated positions required to file financial disclosure forms (adding CFO, EDA commissioners and executive director, and retirement plan administrative committee members, while removing the prior requirement that department head deputies file), updated filing deadlines, and strengthened violation/penalty provisions. Despite this statutory update, later discussions in spring and fall 2026 reveal ongoing concern that state law sets only a minimum floor, and that the city still lacks a local code of ethics setting higher best-practice standards.