On January 29, 2019, the Board of County Commissioners (“Board”) held a workshop during which the creation of and potential funding sources for a proposed NSU Broward Innovation Center were discussed. Potential funding sources include NSU, Broward County, corporate sponsors, and philanthropists. Several Board members stated that, should the project move forward, they would like to have the ability to solicit funds for the project.
Section 1-19(c)(5) of the Code of Ethics for Elected Officials provides that elected officials may not use County resources or staff to solicit charitable contributions absent approval by the Board. Although the structure of the project is being developed, and it is not yet clear whether this Code provision is implicated, this agenda item was prepared and Board approval is being sought in an abundance of caution.
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