Officials walk line between their posts, businesses

Public officials of all stripes are involved in real estate investments and land deals. Many are careful to disclose their interests and avoid making government decisions that could benefit them. But they often must balance public interests and their private investments.

State Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey, cattle and citrus business

Her family controls vast land holdings in Southwest Florida. She holds one of the most influential state posts -- head of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Carlton has refrained from voting on measures as such as a bill to regulate gun ranges because her family's ranch includes a small range. She said she did not vote out of "an abundance of caution and in order to avoid even an appearance of impropriety."

Florida Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, landowner and home builder

"I don't think we should prohibit public officials with intimate knowledge on how things work in the real world from using that experience in the legislative process. But when they start to use it to benefit their personal lives, we turn the benefits into a liability. We adversely affect the public trust."

Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton, licensed real estate agent

Thaxton spent his career as a real estate agent but said he stopped doing real estate deals six months before he took office seven years ago, just before a boom in prices.

"I think it would be unethical from a Realtor's point of view ... The reason is I don't believe I could service my customers. Being county commissioner takes too much time."

Sarasota County Administrator Jim Ley

As the top county executive, Ley holds powerful sway over land and growth issues. His wife, Tamara Ley, sells real estate for Capital Properties & Services and was a broker for Michael Saunders & Co. Ley said he has sought advice from the county attorney because his wife has a client selling land to the county environmental lands program.

"It gets down to the underlying ethics of people. Am I cognizant of it? Yes. That's why I go to the county attorney."

Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson, licensed real estate broker

Owns more than $1 million in property, including commercial and office buildings.

"If you try to eliminate people who have any conflict you're going to get all people with no experience or people with wealth and no jobs. It's not uncommon for state legislators to have conflicts because wires cross when you work in a community."

Circuit Judge Thomas M. Gallen, landlord

Gallen, a retired judge who still hears cases, recently disqualified himself from a landlord-tenant case because he and his family own nearly 150 rental properties in Manatee County. Gallen spent 12 years as a state legislator. "Judicial ethics are much more stringent in that you run into conflicts more with knowledge of the person than the subject matter. If someone comes in and they go to the same church you do, you have to recuse yourself."

Cathy Layton

Layton is president and owner of a commercial real estate firm who has served on the Sarasota Housing Authority and the Sarasota County Planning Commission and charter review board.

"If you want to get someone who's lived in a cave for 20 years, you'll probably never have a conflict, but you're missing the experience of seasoned people. At the same time, you don't want someone who's conflicting out all the time because it gives the appearance of tainting the process."