NORTH ATTLEBORO - Former planning board member Raymond Payson has been fined $5,000 by the state Ethics Commission for participating in decisions involving property abutting his own.

Payson agreed to pay the penalty and waived his rights to contest the ethics commission's finding.

He was accused of participating in decisions that affected the value of property he and his brother own on Landry Avenue.

Contacted by The Sun Chronicle on Thursday, Payson declined to comment, saying only, "It's too disgusting. That's the thanks I get for trying to protect the town. It's dirty politics."

The complaint against Payson was filed by developer Donald Corliss, who appeared before the planning board in the spring of 2006 with a proposal to construct eight buildings on 11 acres at the corner of John Dietsch Boulevard and Landry Avenue. Payson, who was chairman of the planning board at the time, and his brother own a 7-acre vacant lot on Landry Avenue that abuts the Corliss Development Group property.

Payson stated he would not weigh in on matters related to the plan because of his status as an abutter.

However, he participated in several decisions, including approving a site plan for Corliss' property, attending a site walk, approving a site plan modification and inspecting the property with the planning board's engineer.

Payson also wrote a letter to Corliss on planning board letterhead stating that utility work on the property was "at risk of not receiving planning board approval."

The state's conflict of interest law prohibits town officials from participating in matters if they have a financial interest.

The ethics commission noted that key issues in the Corliss Development Group proposal were road access and intersection issues that would affect the value of Payson's property. Decisions made on the plans for the road layout would provide access to Payson's lot.

"The conflict of interest law is intended to ensure that public employees act in the best interests of the citizens they represent rather than their own self-interest," commission spokeswoman Carol Carson said. "They should not take any action on matters affecting property that abuts their own property."

Corliss' complaint about Payson was filed a few months before last April's election.

Payson, the town's former public works director, said at the time the charges were trumped up to try and oust him from the planning board. He was defeated in his bid for re-election.