Is the Holy Trinity connection a Wallingford ethics concern?

WALLINGFORD An ethics complaint was filed against two town councilors with various affiliations to Holy Trinity School, saying they should not have discussed town obligations for repairing a retaining wall on the schools property at two separate council meetings.

Yet nearly all of Wallingfords nine councilors have connections with the 143-year-old Holy Trinity Church, its 99-year-old school, or both.

Many councilors say that in a town of Wallingfords size, everyone is connected somehow to everything.

To me its got to be (a) direct benefit to a councilor for there to be the appearance of an ethics violation in a vote, said Jason Zandri, a Democrat.

Though the Ethics Code in the Town Charter states that no officer ... shall have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, which is in conflict with the proper discharge of his or her official duties, Zandri said the councilors cant recuse themselves from everything to which they have some relationship or they would rarely be able to vote. Zandri used himself as an example, as a utility ratepayer in town and yet voting on items that affect the towns Electric Division and Water Department.

Zandri said he feels that the relationships of Republicans John LeTourneau and Tom Laffin with the school are too fringe to merit ethical concern. LeTourneau and Laffin are the two councilors resident Robert Gross has charged with ethics violations in discussing the wall at June 26, 2012, and Sept. 11, 2012, meetings.

LeTourneau has grandchildren at the school and a daughter on the school board, and Laffins son goes to Catholic education classes once a week at the school through the church, though the complaint alleged his son attended the school.

Both councilors have disputed the charge and will attend a Board of Ethics meeting on Tuesday at Town Hall.

Despite his grandchildrens enrollment at Holy Trinity School, and daughters seat on the board, LeTourneau is not a member of Holy Trinity Church. Laffin is a member of the church, and attended the school.

Several of the councilors not named in the complaint are parishioners at Holy Trinity Church.

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Is the Holy Trinity connection a Wallingford ethics concern?