In keeping with good personnel management procedures, to guarantee equal employment opportunities to all, and to foster an environment where people are treated with respect and trust, the City hereby adopts the following as its official policy towards employment of immediate family members within the City.
(a) For purposes of this section, “immediate family” shall include parents, grandparents, children (natural or adopted), grandchildren, spouse, siblings, or any other persons related to the public official or employee by blood or by marriage and residing in the same household with the official.
(1) Pursuant to opinions from the Ohio Ethics Commission, this Nepotism Policy does not create a “no relatives” standard but rather a prohibition against a public servant using or abusing their public position to secure public jobs or contracts for family members. It is not intended to prevent families from working together, but to prevent the possibility that a public servant may show favoritism towards their family in the exercise of discretionary authority to hire qualified public employees on behalf of the public entity.
(2) All employees required to complete a Personal Information Sheet upon initial employment which asks for name(s) of any relative(s), not limited to immediate family members, employed within the City. The Human Resources Department is responsible for monitoring this information and notifying the Director or Mayor of a prohibited relationship.
(b) No public official or employee shall use the authority or influence of their office to secure employment or authorization of any public contract for any member of their immediate family within the political subdivision in which they serve.
(1) The basic criteria for appointment and promotion of all municipal employees will be appropriate qualifications and performance. Relationship by family or marriage will constitute neither an advantage nor a deterrent to appointment, provided that the individual meets and fulfills the appropriate appointment standards.
(2) Members of the same immediate family whose qualifications rank each of them first for the positions under consideration may be employed in either full-time or part-time positions so long as neither family member is in a position to hire, supervise, direct, evaluate, or otherwise influence the work assignments, working conditions, working hours, promotion, retention, discipline, or compensation of the other.
(c) An employee who violates this policy, whether by knowingly permitting or knowingly accepting employment in violation of this policy, is subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from employment.
(d) Any conflicts between this section and the rules for hiring employees subject to a collective bargaining agreement shall be resolved in favor of the collective bargaining agreement.
(Ord. 22-108. Passed 7-11-22.)