Recuse Versus Abstain

4/19/25 letter to City of Blaine:

To clarify the difference between abstaining on a city council vote and recusing oneself from voting on a city council matter, abstain simply means one is not voting; recuse means stating why one is not voting and leaving the chambers prior to discussion and vote. If it is due to a conflict of interest, then simply abstaining but not recusing oneself does not satisfy this state-mandated legal requirement.

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