Town Passes Nepotism Ordinance

nep.o.tism nep-uh-tiz-uhm Patronage bestowed or favoritism
shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business & politics

   Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a new law in March that prohibits local officeholders from hiring their relatives or from having public contracts with them without making certain disclosures. The law also prohibits public employees from holding any office that controls money or policies that might benefit them. Under that provision, those employees couldn't run for re-election, though they wouldn't be kicked out of office.
   Local units of government were given until July 1, 2012, to have an ordinance in place which complies with the state statute.  Failure to do so will result in the state Department of Local Government Finance not approving the unit’s budget or additional appropriations.
   In response to the state law, the Town of Greentown adopted an ordinance at their regular June meeting.
   The ordinance forbids an employee of one department

from being in the “direct line of supervision” over a family member.  Relative is defined as spouse, parent or step parent, child or step child, brother, sister, step brother, step sister, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, daughter-in-law or son-in-law.  Relatives currently employed may keep their position unless there is a break in employment.     The Greentown ordinance also stipulates that a single member of the Council cannot act alone in making work assignments, compensation, grievances, advancement or performing evaluations without prior authority of a majority of the Council.
   There are some exceptions in the law.  Volunteer firefighters are not considered employees.  Township trustees who maintain their office in their residence may still keep one of their relatives on the payroll and county sheriffs may continue to keep their spouse on the payroll as jail matron.