Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 17, 1992 TAG: 9202170109
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SALEM MAN SAYS CITY TOO MUCH LIKE A FAMILY BUSINESS
Bill Senter doesn't care if he irritates or angers people. Sometimes it takes that to demand action, he says.Senter, of Salem, has taken issue with what he contends is nepotism in city hiring.
His target: Salem City Council. In particular, three members who have family members working in city government or in the city school system. Two of the three council members, Mayor Jim Taliaferro and Councilman Alex Brown, are running for re-election in May.
Taliaferro's wife is employed at the Salem school administrative offices. His son works in the city planning department. Brown's wife and mother teach in city schools, as do Councilman Sonny Tarpley's wife and daughter.
"There are multiple situations of spouses and children and close family members who are employees of the city, and I question the wisdom," Senter said. "I'm concerned about conflict of interest and also the use of public funds, which could be construed as taking care of one's own family and friends.
"It has an appearance that certainly should be considered."
Senter, a real estate broker, wrote a letter to the Roanoke Times & World-News that, in part, questioned the family connections. The letter is published on today's editorial page.
Taliaferro said Thursday that he sees nothing wrong with citizens asking those questions. In fact, he welcomes it. But if there is a conflict of interest, "it goes well beyond the city of Salem," he said.
"If you look at every state, most have families working in them," he said. "In small places, like Salem, it may be more recognizable."
Taliaferro said he has no qualms about Senter raising the issue. But "if it's going to be a nasty thing, then there needs to be a little more research," he said.
The hiring of family of any council members has always been thoroughly researched, legally, Taliaferro said. Council even consulted with the city attorney and one state legislator to determine whether it was proper for them to vote on the school budget, he said.
Because council votes on the school budget as a whole and not on particular school employees or salaries, voting on the budget wasn't viewed as a conflict, City Attorney Steve Yost said.
But is having family members employed in city government or the school system a conflict for council members?
"I went back through the statutes, and I'm satisfied that everyone has complied with Virginia law," Yost said. "I don't believe there's any conflict. I think it depends on whether there is any authority in hiring or firing."
"If the person has no authority in hiring or firing, I don't see where it's a problem," he said.
But Senter sees a potential conflict if an elected official is in a position to influence hiring.
"As a citizen, I have absolutely nothing against the employees. They do a fine job," Senter said. "But because there is a possibility of a conflict of interest, as a voter, I would like the council members to step down."
Sandra Wiley, with the University of Virginia Center for Public Service, said the Virginia Conflict of Interest Act is very specific about these kinds of relationships.
"It depends a lot on who is in charge of whom and varies from case to case," she said. "There are a lot of circumstances where it is appropriate and a lot where it is not. It does have to do with lines of authority."
The act prohibits an officer or employee from participating in certain transactions where an employee or relative living in the same household has or expects to have a "material financial interest."
A material financial interest exists when an officer or employee and spouse or relative in the same household are employed by the same government agency and there is a direct supervisory or administrative relationship between them. The subordinate must also receive an annual salary of $10,000 or more.
Brown says he and his fellow council members were not "in any way responsible for the hiring of any of the people in question."
"I feel very uncomfortable having to defend my family for the work they do," Brown said. "But if you're going to be in a position like we're in, then you're going to have to take some shots from some segments of our community."
Senter argues, "Most businesses would not be run the way certain areas of the city are run unless they are family-owned businesses."
"What I'm saying is that it's too much damn family."
Keywords:
POLITICS