Acting as a public servant on an elected or appointed body requires loyalty to the public. Conflicts of interest arise when a public servant is in the position of deciding between public duty and private interests. This fact sheet discusses the two most common conflicts of interest and general guidance from the Iowa Supreme Court.

Planning and Zoning workshops are presented throughout the state of Iowa by Community and Economic Development Extension and Outreach’s Local Governments team. Information on these workshops and other programs can be found at: www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/programs-and-services