Consider Cort Ashton. The amiable member of the Salt Lake County Council never blinked when his aunt, Liane Stillman, was selected last December to become city manager of newly incorporated Cottonwood Heights. After all, she had served years earlier as Holladay's mayor.

But now, Cottonwood Heights has come to Ashton and Co. with a request for upward of $7 million to help the new city. Suddenly, Ashton must decide whether the moniker of this "great lady" carries another meaning: "conflict."

So far no one is saying so, especially Ashton, who insists the relationship will not influence his vote.

"When I look inside, I am not tainted or jaundiced or prejudiced because of my relative being a member of the Cottonwood Heights administration," he said this week. "I've totally separated myself and boxed around the issue."

Ashton, who does not represent the southeast Salt Lake Valley city, says he will remind his council colleagues about Stillman before the vote, expected June 21.

"I'll ask them if they want me to leave the room," he said. "Or, if they felt I could be impartial, I could vote."

Fellow members of the council don't see a conundrum.

"In Utah, everybody seems to be related to everybody else," joked Councilman Joe Hatch, saying he has no problem - provided there is disclosure. "He's not going to get a check from his aunt."

Councilman David Wilde agrees, saying he won't call for a recusal or second-guess Ashton's choice to be counted. "If he says he can vote impartially, I'm going to trust his word."

Ashton says he is inclined to support some reimbursement - Cottonwood Heights officials say the county should cough up a chunk of its $22 million balance in municipal services since it was partially collected from city taxpayers - but would feel the same way about other unincorporated areas.

Councilman Randy Horiuchi concurred: "I find Cort to be a pretty fair guy. I suspect he'll be able to vote his conscience."

Stillman certainly thinks so.

Calling conflict of interest an important protection, she insists the relatives never talk politics in personal settings.

"He is 100 percent an independent thinker," Stillman said. "It's what makes him such a valued contributor to the County Council."

Still, Councilwoman Jenny Wilson notes the county's ethics board recently debated how to crystallize the government's policy on conflict of interest.

"It's very hard to define where you cross the line," Wilson said. "You should absolutely, always disclose. But I do think it's at the discretion of the elected."of the newly incorporated city insist the money is rightfully theirs since it was paid by their residents. But County Mayor Peter Corroon says forking over the cash could lead to a future tax burden for the rest of the unincorporated county.

A possible agreement could include building a park and recreation project for roughly $2.5 million on one of the city's two newly closed elementary-school sites.

County officials also are pondering a $500,000 reimbursement for canyon fire control that Cottonwood Heights has budgeted, along with $75,000 to cover costs for the city's election.

- Derek P. Jensen