Nepotism rampant in Warren County

Should government officials be allowed to hire relatives to work under them?

I?m pretty sure that if we had a poll here, most people would vote against allowing nepotism in government offices, the logic there being that ?nepotism? is a word closely akin to ?favoritism? and to many people it just looks bad.

I really hadn?t thought too much about nepotism here until I was sitting in court Monday in the preliminary hearing for former seven-term Trustee Joy Slatton, who is charged with falsifying time sheets to pay her daughters on days they reportedly did not actually work.

During the hearing, it was being explained to the special judge from out of town about the connection of Slatton to the employees/daughters. From the look on his face, it was apparent he was very surprised by the degree of nepotism in the office, where numerous members of Slatton?s family worked there.

However, that got me thinking about how Slatton is the rule rather than the exception in Warren County. Most elected officials do employee relatives for positions in their offices, and really always have, seeing nepotism is as entrenched here as the nursery business.

We do, in fact, have a rule against nepotism here, but due to questions as to the validity of the rule, it is not enforced.

Frankly, I don?t lose a lot of sleep over nepotism in Warren County, especially when the employees are good employees. For instance, it?s no secret that Harold Glenn?s son, Levie, is an employee of the road superintendent?s office. However, Levie has gone above and beyond when it comes to helping maintain and pave the roads of the county and has done much to further his knowledge of the business.

The same is true of Sheriff Jackie Matheny?s son, Jackie Matheny Jr., who has become a very good investigator, working long hours and solving several complex crimes in his job as a detective.

These folks are the rule rather than the exception as there are several other relatives of elected officials who perform vital roles for their various offices.

With that said, the problem comes in a case like that of Slatton?s when questions arise as to potential favoritism, in this case rising to the point of alleged criminal behavior. Personally, I haven?t the slightest idea whether there is anything to the charges against the former trustee but the situation itself gives me pause to think the awkward position an elected official can be placed in when their family is working in their office.

Some officials may say they are tougher on their relatives than they would be on another employee, similar to a coach who is tougher on their own kid during ball practice. Others tell me they prefer a family member because they know blood can be trusted and they know what they are getting. However, at the same time, having family members in an office may make for an awkward feeling among other employees who also work in the office but are not in the family circle.

After saying all that, I still have to admit I?m torn on the issue. Without nepotism we might not have some very valuable employees who have served the county well. I guess it ultimately comes down to the voters. If they are turned off by nepotism, they can make themselves known at the polls. However, given the fact most incumbents get elected in landslides and most incumbents do employ their relatives, it appears the voters, while doing the issue lip service once in a while, aren?t really that concerned about nepotism either.

Duane Sherrill is a reporter for the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at [email protected].