J Cornelius — Big Canoe POA Board Candidate

Understanding Recusals

Transparency and accountability are essential for the effective governance of the Big Canoe Property Owners Association (POA). One critical aspect of maintaining these principles is the proper understanding of perceived and potential conflicts, and handling of recusals by board members.

The Role of the Board

The board is responsible for:

Setting policies that benefit all members.
Overseeing the management of POA resources.
Ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.
Promoting transparency and accountability in all actions.

Why would the board be negotiating supplier prices, buying equipment, or getting involved in residential real estate transactions?

Those are operational matters. We have a General Manager, Operations Manager, Department heads and other managers who should be making those decisions. The board’s role should be high-level strategic direction, not micromanaging daily operations. Most of the day-to-day activities of managing our community should not require board involvement at all.

It appears that according to the Policies & Procedures, the General Manager has authority to approve purchases and contracts up to $50,000. Anything above that threshold requires board approval. This is likely a reasonable threshold, and one that would allow our paid managers to handle the vast majority of day-to-day operations.

Get the Management We’re Paying For

According to the Audited Financials, in 2024, we spent:

2024 Labor Expenses

$2.98M on Amenity Operations
$2.96M on Community Operations
$1.45M on General & Administration
Plus $1.67M in total employee benefits

That totals $9,080,494 (about 40% of our total expenses) on paid staff - not counting payroll taxes and other expenses. Surely the people in that annual expenditure can handle running things day-to-day. If not, we have an entirely different set of problems.

About Conflicts of Interest and Recusals

Georgia law (O.C.G.A. §§ 14-3-860 to 14-3-863) says that for nonprofit boards, a conflict of interest exists when a director—or a close relative or associated entity—has a significant financial stake in a matter before the board.

The director must disclose the conflict and all material facts. Only “qualified” directors or members (those without a conflict) can approve the transaction, and approval must follow the formal process set out in the law.

A recusal occurs when a board member abstains from participating in a discussion or decision due to a potential or perceived conflict of interest. This helps ensure that decisions are made fairly and without undue influence.

Why Are Recusals Important?

Protect the integrity of the board’s decisions.
Maintain trust with Property Owners.
Avoid legal complications related to conflicts of interest.

When is a Recusal Appropriate?

Board members should consider recusing themselves in situations such as:

When a decision involves a contract or service in which they have a financial interest.
When discussing disciplinary actions involving a family member.
When voting on matters that could directly benefit them personally.

When a board member has a potential or perceived conflict of interest, the best practice is to recuse themselves from participating in related decisions. Sometimes that means stepping away entirely, and other times it means offering input when requested but abstaining from any votes or other approvals. The goal is to maintain trust and ensure decisions are made solely in the community’s best interest.

Relevant experience should be valued—it can bring insight and perspective that benefit the community. The key is being transparent about where to draw the line and recognizing when it’s time to step back. Clear boundaries protect both the integrity of the decision and the credibility of the board.

A simple example

For example: If I were on the board, there could be a perceived conflict of interest in discussions about Clubhouse renovations. More about that here.

My thoughts on the extent of renovations, an appropriate budget, and prioritizing the Clubhouse over other community improvements (especially since the community survey ranked the postal and trash facilities as a higher priority) could be seen as a conflicting interest with my restaurant—even though we’ve addressed this in the past.

In that case, I could fully recuse myself from the conversation or, with permission from the other board members, share my perspective and what I’ve heard from the community before stepping aside for the actual vote. That’s how you keep decisions clean, transparent, and focused on the big picture.

Other Scenarios

Would a board member who is a regular golfer be required to recuse themselves on golf course maintenance related issues?
Would a board member who is a regular tennis player be required to recuse themselves on discussion of racquet club improvements?
Would a board member whose spouse is a real estate agent be required to recuse themselves on discussion about POA due increases?

These are all likely scenarios a board would face. Being open, forthright, and transparent about when there is a potential or perceived conflict is critical.

Commitment to Ethical Governance

Ultimately, strong ethics, responsibility, and—above all—transparency are critical for good governance. When the community can clearly see how and why decisions are made, trust grows, accountability strengthens, and the board can focus on guiding the community toward its long-term goals.

As a candidate for the Big Canoe POA Board, I am committed to:

Full disclosure of any perceived or potential conflicts of interest.
Promoting open communication with POA members.
Appropriate and transparent recusals when needed.

Together, we can ensure that Big Canoe remains a vibrant, well-managed community where every member’s interests are respected.

Thank you for reading my platform. I hope you found it informative and helpful in understanding my vision for our community.

Have a question or something to say? Send me an email: jcfortheboard@gmail.com

Prefer to talk? Book a time with me.

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J Cornelius — Candidate for the POA Board
jcornelius.com/poa

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead