Howard Landau’s conflicts of interest?

 Landau Public Relations, the second of three finalists for a Cuyahoga County transition contract to appear before a public engagement committee today, is a political outsider. And that’s a good thing, says President Howard Landau.

“We have never represented a candidate for office,” Landau told panelists moments ago at a public meeting. “We have never represented a countywide issue. We see this as a unique opportunity to make an important contribution at a very important.”

It was clearly a move to distinguish Landau from Burges & Burges, one of its competitors for the public-relations contract. A representative for Burges & Burges, which presented first today, said her firm would not commit to sitting out the county executive and council races.

Members of the public engagement committee are vetting communications consultants to help engage more than 1,000 volunteers who would like to help the county transition to charter government. But several have expressed conflict-of-interest concerns about the consultant they choose also handling political races this summer and fall.

Landau, whose client roster is heavy on corporations such as Giant Eagle, said the consulting project “would not be a typical assignment for us.”

The third finalist, Gap Communications, is scheduled to present next