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Show School board member says campaign donations won't influence decisions "My conscience is totally clear," said school board member Lindy Blackbourn in regard to accepting a $100 campaign contribution from the architectural firm of Edwards an Daniels. Both Blackbourn and former school board president, Gary Avise, received re-ceived contributions from Edwards and Daniels last October. Alter the November elections Balckbourn and Avise were asked to select one of two architects as consultants for a possible new school. They voted, along with school board members Eugene Lambert and Ralph Hale, to hire Edwards and Daniels. Blackbourn said she also accepted a contribution from the Park City Education Association, the teachers union. But in both cases she said, "They will find out that I will not always vote the way they want me to. Every decision I make is an independent one and I would not have accepted the money if I thought they expected any favors." Blackbourn said she received the check from Edwards and Daniels in the mail and never heard from them afterwards. On the other hand, she said she received three phone calls irom the competing firm Deseret Architects. "They asked me out to lunch and even offered to fly me to Nebraska to see a school," she said. Avise who received a check for $200, said he saw the contribution as a recognition of past associations rather than a request for future contracts. School board member Nancy McComb, who ran unopposed in November, did not receive a campaign contribution from Edwards Ed-wards and Daniels and said she "would have sent it back" if she had. "I would have felt uncomfortable uncomfort-able accepting a campaign contribution contribu-tion from an individual who stood to ' gain from it," said said. School superintendent Tony Mitchell Mit-chell said he saw no improprieties in the board members' actions. Ralph' Edwards has designed two award-winning award-winning schools for the district and is currently working on the new wing at the high school, Mitchell said. "He has had a long and positive relationship with the school district." dis-trict." Campaign contributions from companies that need the good will of the legislature is common practice on the state level, he added. "I think we have to rely on the integrity of these individuals," he said. |