51黑料

The job was set to pay $15 an hour; the hiring manager mistakenly offered $16.

Then county health director Dr. Kanika Cunningham stepped in and asked the county to approve the higher pay.

Cunningham, it turns out, was the temporary employee鈥檚 mother.

Nepotism in county government took center stage last month when county Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell filed to remove Republican Councilman Dennis Hancock after he tried to hire his stepdaughter as his legislative assistant. Bell said the state constitution and that, upon doing so, the elected official forfeits his or her office.

It鈥檚 not clear how many county employees have had relatives working under them. But it鈥檚 not just Hancock.

Last year, the daughter of a former health department spokesman also got a summer job with the department. And Republican Councilman Ernie Trakas鈥� wife provides volunteer constituent services for him.

Cunningham and Christopher Ave, the former spokesman, said they didn鈥檛 directly hire their kids; Trakas said the county doesn鈥檛 pay his wife for responding to constituent complaints and inquiries.

The any public 鈥渙fficer or employee鈥� from appointing or hiring a relative within the fourth degree. They lose their job or seat if they violate the law.

鈥淚 take no pleasure in pursuing this action,鈥� Bell said in a statement on Aug. 27, when filing to remove Hancock. 鈥淏ut based on the clear language of the constitution it would be a dereliction of our duty to not bring this matter before the court.鈥�

Bell鈥檚 petition said Hancock鈥檚 stepdaughter, Hollie Galati, started work on Aug. 19 at a salary of $24.88 per hour. She would also have received a $300 monthly vehicle allowance plus other benefits. Hancock acknowledged the hiring and the relationship, the court records said, but said Galati had not yet been paid. She later voluntarily resigned, without pay.

If Bell succeeds in removing Hancock, the 51黑料 County Republican Party would elect a nominee to run in a special election to replace him, said party Chair Rene Artman.

But Artman blasted the move as political. County Executive Sam Page is a Democrat, as is Bell.

鈥淭his is abominable,鈥� Artman said then.

Good-government experts said the hires, regardless of legality, are a bad look.

鈥淭he biggest problem is it damages the public trust,鈥� said Doug Linkhart, president of the National Civic League, which advocates for better government practices. 鈥淚t calls into question the quality of the individual and likely reduces the effectiveness of government when you hire somebody in a preferential way rather than on merit.鈥�

Page鈥檚 spokesman, Doug Moore, said Cunningham鈥檚 daughter, Ateshia Turner, 18, was actually hired by Shannon Franklin, a mid-level health department manager, and not by Cunningham.

Turner earned more than $5,200 doing underage tobacco sale checks at local stores this summer, according to county personnel records.

As part of the job, an underage employee tries to buy tobacco and reports back on the store鈥檚 compliance with applicable laws.

Cunningham, when asked about her daughter, said she鈥檇 鈥渟ee what鈥檚 going on with that鈥� and ask Moore to get back to the Post-Dispatch.

Moore responded and said Cunningham knew her daughter had applied for the job but that Cunningham 鈥� who is the head of the department, making about $180,000 a year 鈥� was 鈥渘ot the hiring authority.鈥�

Cunningham requested a raise for that position in June, after her daughter had been offered the job, because such workers had been hard to find.

鈥淭he department has had difficulty hiring for these positions at the lower rate due to the sensitive and often stressful nature of the enforcement work,鈥� Cunningham wrote in an email dated June 21 to county human resources director Matt Livasy.

And with the offers already out, for $16 an hour, HR signed off, Moore said.

Turner couldn鈥檛 be reached for comment.

Ave, the former health department spokesman, said his daughter, Sophia Ave, got a job last summer inspecting county pools. He knew she applied, but he was not the hiring manager and did not put in a word for her. She earned $5,600 last year.

She also could not be reached for comment.

Trakas, the councilman, said his wife, Lori, has helped respond to emails and phone calls since he was elected in 2016. She doesn鈥檛 have access to restricted parts of the county building, doesn鈥檛 have a parking spot or attend council meetings, and 鈥渉as never received a dime from the county.鈥�

But Linkhart, the civic league president, said all three instances could be considered a gray area in nepotism.

A position might be volunteer, but it could give someone significant influence. A parent might not have directly hired a child, but the parent still has control over that position.

Cities nationwide like Denver and Chicago have rules against hiring relatives 鈥渇or any purpose related to your span of control,鈥� Linkhart said.

Moore said 51黑料 County has a conflict of interest code but no specific rule that bars hiring relatives.

But he said Page is now looking into one.

鈥淭he county executive,鈥� Moore said, 鈥渉as asked for a review of the policy of related individuals working in the county.鈥�