No public official or employee of a municipality (or Board or Commission thereof), and no Commissioner or employee of an Urban Renewal Authority which has been vested by a municipality with urban renewal project powers under this article, shall voluntarily acquire any personal interest, direct or indirect, in any urban renewal project, or in any property that is to be acquired or developed with public finance assistance and that is included or planned to be included in any urban renewal project of such municipality or in any contract or proposed contract in connection with such urban renewal project. Where such acquisition is not voluntary, the interest acquired shall be immediately disclosed in writing to the municipal governing body. If such official, Commissioner or employee presently owns or controls, or owned or controlled within the preceding two (2) years, any interest, direct or indirect, in any property which he knows is included or planned to be included in an urban renewal project, he shall immediately disclose this fact in writing to the municipal governing body, and any such officials, Commissioner or employee shall not participate in any action by the municipality (or Board or Commission thereof), or Urban Renewal Authority affecting such property. This section shall not preclude acquisition of a residence, acquisition of any property after issuance of a certificate of completion, or agreement to redevelop in accordance with the objectives of such urban renewal project, provided such official, Commissioner, or employee discloses any actual or prospective interest and does not participate in any official action approving such agreement. The disclosure required to be made by this section to the municipal governing body shall concurrently be made to the Urban Renewal Authority which has been vested with urban renewal project powers by the municipality pursuant to the provisions of this article. No Commissioner or other officer of any Urban Renewal Authority, Board or Commission exercising the powers pursuant to this article shall hold any other public office under the municipality other than his commissionership or office with respect to such Urban Renewal Authority.
Added by Laws 1977, c. 256, § 38-118, eff. July 1, 1978. Amended by Laws 2005, c. 210, § 1, emerg. eff. May 23, 2005; Laws 2008, c. 367, § 7, eff. Nov. 1, 2008.