Former North Carolina House Speaker Richard Morgan has filed an ethics complaint against Lanier Cansler, the state secretary of health and human services.

Morgan, who represented Moore County in the state House of Representatives from 1990 to 2006, claims that two no-bid contracts valued at $30 million awarded to Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME), a client of Cansler's former consulting firm, are a conflict of interest.

In the complaint, Morgan contends that Cansler has "a vested financial interest" in seeing his former firm - now known as Fuquay Solutions - succeed. Instead of selling his ownership stake for cash upon leaving the company, Cansler receives monthly payments of about $3,000 on a promissory note. The firm was formerly called Cansler Fuquay Solutions.

Morgan said that Gov. Bev Perdue is accountable.

"Gov. Perdue is talking a lot in the newspapers this week about cleaning up politics in North Carolina, but what's happening in Lanier Cansler's department proves that's just hot air," Morgan said in a statement. "Secretary Cansler could never have given no-bid contracts to his former clients without the governor letting it happen. The buck stops at Beverly Perdue's desk."

NO CONFLICT - Cansler called Morgan's complaint "politically motivated and without merit" in a statement provided by Renee McCoy, director of public affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The statement said that Cansler fully disclosed his former business interests in a statement filed with the ethics commission after accepting the nomination to his DHHS post in February 2009.

It also said that Cansler has removed himself from "any and all discussions and decisions made by DHHS as it relates to his former practice." It notes that any sole source contract awards are not finalized at DHHS, but must also meet the approval of the Department of Administration.

Cansler also addressed the complaint in a letter to the state General Assembly. He said in the statement that the Ethics Commission told him at the time of his appointment that he should recuse himself if a conflict arose.

"In accordance with that guidance from the commission, early on, I created a process to avoid any personal involvement in decisions involving my former firm and clients, taking every step possible to isolate myself from any discussion or decisions related to potential contracts with clients of my former employer," he wrote.

Cansler mentioned in the letter that DHHS has contracted with CCME for more than 15 years.

'IT'S A DODGE' - Morgan wrote in his statement that Cansler "has tried to camouflage this conflict of interest by telling the press he delegated the handling of CCME's $30 million contract to his subordinates. But Lanier telling his assistant, 'I want you to handle this contract for my former client,' doesn't cut the mustard. Delegating to someone you hire and control isn't a recusal - it's a dodge."

Cansler has asked the state Ethics Commission to make public any complaint regarding his economic interests.

A Republican from Asheville, Cansler served with Morgan in the state House in the 1990s.

Morgan will face off against incumbent Sen. Harris Blake in next month's Republican primary for the state senate.

KINNEY - Dave Kinney was elected vice chairman of the Moore County Planning Board at a Thursday night meeting.

Kinney succeeds Kim VonCanon, who rotated off the board this month.

Jerry Wilson, who was appointed to fill her slot on the board, was welcomed to the board for his first meeting Thursday.

The board awarded a certificate of appreciation to VonCanon in recognition of her valuable service and dedication to the county's planning program. VonCanon had a conflict and was unable to attend the meeting. The certificate will be delivered to her later.

APPOINTMENTS - Sharon Harrell and Rose Young have been reappointed to the Board of Health for three-year terms expiring in 2013.

The Moore County Board of Commissioners made the appointments during an April 6 meeting.

The commissioners also reappointed Mary Crusius, Beth Takahashi and Shirley Hooker to the Aging Advisory Council. They reappointed Dr. Robin Cummings to the Board of Adjustment and reappointed Leah Brennan and Mary Meindl to the Nursing and Adult Care Community Advisory Committee. All appointments are for three-year terms.

APRIL -- Spring is the time for special observances, and the county commissioners adopted five such resolutions at their Tuesday meeting. Four are for April, one for May.

Among them was a declaration designating April 11-17 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Public Safety Director Bryan Phillips read the resolution that describes telecommunicators as "the first and most critical contact our citizens have with emergency services."

The proclamation notes that the prompt response to an emergency is largely dependent on the service of the telecommunicators who receive the initial call and are responsible for dispatching law enforcement officers, firefighters, rescue workers and paramedics.

"Telecommunicators have contributed substantially to the apprehension of criminals, suppression of fires and treatment of patients" and have "exhibited compassion, understanding and professionalism during the performance of their job," the resolution further reads.