A College Park resident, Elizabeth Lester, has obtained public records that she says point to a conflict of interest involving the city, a public official, and a vendor paid more than $1 million by College Park over two fiscal years.

Conflict of Interest Concerns

The vendor, RSW Services, is owned by Subrenia Willis, chairwoman of College Park’s Business and Industrial Development Authority. Willis’s husband, Rex Willis, who leads the company, said there is no conflict of interest and that RSW Services has not benefited from his wife’s role with the authority.

Lester, an intellectual-property attorney, said the records warrant greater scrutiny of how the city awards and oversees work involving people serving on its boards and authorities. She wrote on the SpeakUp College Park Facebook page that invoices and other financial records show the city paid RSW Services a total of $1,034,047 during fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

City Manager Michael Hicks and City Attorney Winston Denmark did not respond to an email seeking comment on whether the city’s business relationship with RSW Services presents a conflict of interest or violates College Park’s ethics code.

College Park’s Standards of Conduct state that no city official, employee, or appointee shall enter into any contract with the city except as specifically authorized by state statutes. Any city official, employee, or appointee who has a proprietary interest in an agency doing business with the city shall make known that interest in writing to the city council and city clerk.

Rex Willis describes his wife’s BIDA position as a volunteer role, rather than that of a city official. He said the company’s contracts were awarded through a lawful process.

Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.