Although the Butler County commissioners aren’t permitted to be voting members of the Butler County Community College board, a commissioner’s administrative assistant will continue to hold a seat on that board.

Kim Geyer will continue serving as voting member of the BC3 board despite becoming Commissioner Bill McCarrier’s assistant this year.

Geyer voluntarily excused herself from the board until the county investigated any legal or ethical complications tied to the situation.

McCarrier, who is the nonvoting liaison to the college board, said there is nothing preventing Geyer from keeping her seat.

“There’s no conflict of interest,” he said.

McCarrier stressed there’s no monetary benefits or other tangible benefit for Geyer.

He said her membership on the board doesn’t violate the college’s bylaws or county policy.

McCarrier said there’s no difference between Geyer and any other college board member: they are all appointed by the commissioners.

“I can influence everyone’s vote,” he said, referring to Geyer not being any more susceptible to his authority than the other board members.

McCarrier said he will not tell Geyer how to vote on issues coming before the college board.

“She votes what she feels is right,” he said.

The Pittsburgh law firm Tucker Arensberg agreed there was nothing improper by having Geyer sit on the board while being a commissioner’s assistant.

According to a letter sent by the firm to the college, “There is no impediment to Kim Geyer continuing to serve on the BCCC board of trustees while also being employed by Butler County on the staff of one the Butler County commissioners.”

The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission won’t give an opinion to the county because Geyer has yet to sit on the board since working for McCarrier.

County solicitor Julie Graham said there were previous BC3 board members who were county employees at the time, but none worked as a commissioner’s assistant.

Geyer, who was a candidate in the 2011 race for county commissioner, said she will not be a de facto vote for McCarrier.

She will rejoin the board for the Feb. 22 meeting.

“Working closely with BC3’s administration and my trustee colleagues, I am eager to re-engage on the important educational issues faced by the college,” Geyer said.

Commissioner Dale Pinkerton agreed there is no problem having Geyer sit on the BC3 board.

He pointed out Geyer was appointed last year by a previous board of commissioners comprised of himself and two people no longer in office.

“We felt she’d be a great candidate,” Pinkerton said about her July appointment.

He is pleased the legal opinion reaffirms there is no conflict.

“She is a real plus for the board,” Pinkerton said.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein, who pursued the issue after the question was raised at a public meeting, disagreed the matter is resolved.

“I asked ethics, not legality,” he said.

Eckstein said the college never should have spent money on researching the legality, which was not questioned.