MILLINOCKET – Thanks, but no thanks.

That was the somewhat amused reaction from Town Council members who found themselves the recipients of a most generous but ultimately unwelcome gift from Premier Cancun Vacations on Thursday – a free, five-day and four-night vacation to Cancun.

The offer came Thursday in the wake of a visit last week by Erika Garcia, chief executive officer with Premier, to the Cancun Travel Unlimited offices on Spring Street. It also followed the council’s unanimous vote to loan the local telemarketing call center $20,000 to cover startup expenses.

Council Chairman Wallace Paul and the other council members said they felt compelled to decline the generous offer to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

“I just want to set the record straight that I knew nothing of this offer when I made my decision for the loan,” Councilor Scott Gonya said prior to a council meeting on Thursday. “We loaned them money, but I was never offered anything.

“I don’t believe they think they [Premier officials] were doing anything wrong. I don’t believe they thought they were doing anything illegal,” Gonya added. “I just don’t want anything more to be made of it than what is.”

Paul also felt the offer was ill-considered.

“I am sure everybody understands perfectly that that won’t be happening,” he said of councilors going on free vacations.

“I trust this is a well-intended but inappropriate offer for us public servants,” Councilor Matthew Polstein wrote in an e-mail. “I too will not be taking them up on it.”

Councilors Jimmy Busque, David Cyr and Bruce McLean e-mailed their regretful rejections later Thursday afternoon.

“The offer is very much appreciated by us all, just as we all very much appreciate the jobs you’ve helped create in our community. We are used to being put in a position of conflict, but some conflicts are harder to turn down than others. Also, Cancun and your resorts are worth visiting even without them being free,” McLean wrote.

No one should see the offer as any attempt at payola or influence-peddling, Paul said. In any event, it had no bearing on the council’s vote, he said.

“That offer came after that was all handled and voted on,” Paul said.

Cancun Travel sells vacations to Cancun and Costa Rica on behalf of Premier Cancun Vacations, which is based in Florida.

Mel Gould III, Cancun Travel Unlimited’s operations director, and Bill Gould, the partners who started the company on May 30, were surprised to hear of the offer when contacted by the Bangor Daily News on Thursday.

They said Garcia e-mailed the offer without their knowledge or consent. The brothers described the gift as an almost knee-jerk reaction by Garcia in an industry where giving away what you sell is commonly done as a thank-you and a promotion.

As an example, the top two salespeople for the first 30 days at Cancun Travel Unlimited will get the same offer the councilors received, plus round-trip airfare, Gould said.

“It’s the vacation industry. We do that sort of thing all the time,” Mel Gould said Thursday. “She [Garcia] is just happy that the town of Millinocket is supporting us. That’s all. I don’t think there’s anything else to it. It’s her way of saying thank you for your support.”

Garcia’s e-mail seems to support Gould’s interpretation. Written by Paulette Micklos, who appears to be Garcia’s administrative assistant, it reads:

“Dear all, I was asked by Erika Garcia to contact all of you for your addresses in order to send you each a 5 day-4 night certificate to Cancun. She also wanted to thank everyone for your support while she was there to tour the new call center. If you could please forward your home addresses … I would appreciate it. If you have any questions you can reach me at … Thank you for your help and attention to this request.”

In another e-mail sent late Thursday to the councilors via Micklos, Garcia apologized for inadvertently placing them in an awkward position. She described the offer as arising from a cultural misunderstanding.

“I can assure you that the certificates were offered in the utmost of good faith without any ulterior motives whatsoever,” Micklos wrote. “Ms. Garcia is a Mexican citizen and is therefore not aware of the fine lines under which you operate as elected officials. Please accept our apologies for inadvertently placing you in a position which could be deemed a conflict of interest.”

It’s not unusual for public officials to be offered gratuities. Most decline without public comment. Gonya said he felt he should make the offer public because two residents perhaps teasingly asked him recently whether he was taking any vacations in Cancun and wanted to publicly dispel any appearance of impropriety or questions.

The councilors reacted with wry humor to the offer. Gonya joked that the offer was tempting, given that he’s never been south of New Jersey.

“It’s kind of them,” Paul said, “but I think in technical terms it’s called accepting a bribe.”

“Who’s got time for a vacation, anyway?” Polstein wrote, “We’re all too busy taking ‘staycations’ this summer.”

Councilor Jim Mingo got a burst of laughter from his fellow councilors during the council meeting when Town Manager Eugene Conlogue mentioned that he would be taking a vacation during the first week of July.

“Where you going?” Mingo deadpanned. “To Cancun?”

nsambides@bangordailynews.net

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