La Mesa Municipal Code Ch. 2.95 Employment of Relatives

The city council hereby finds, determines and declares that to avoid the appearance of patronage and favoritism, the city is prohibited from hiring, in any position, the relatives of councilmembers and top city management personnel and prohibited from hiring relatives within departments in certain situations.

(Ord. 2410; December 10, 1985)

(a) "Relative" means spouse, child, step-child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, or another individual related by blood or marriage living in the same household as a city employee.

(b) "Employee" means any person who receives a city paycheck for services rendered to the city.

(Ord. 2410; December 10, 1985)

(a) City-wide. Relatives of those listed below may not be employed anywhere in the city organization:

(1) City council members;

(2) Standing board and commission members;

(3) Executive and confidential employees of the city;

(4) Employees of the city manager's department;

(5) Employees of the personnel department.

(b) Within departments. The employment of relatives, except for spouses, within a department is prohibited when they:

(1) Perform joint duties;

(2) Share responsibility or authority;

(3) Function in the same chain of command;

(4) Work on the same shift at the same work site.

(c) Spouses' employment decision. The employment decision based on whether an individual has a spouse presently employed by the city shall be based on the following criteria:

(1) For reasons of supervision, safety, security or morale, the city may refuse to place one spouse under the direct supervision of the other spouse.

(2) For reasons of supervision, safety, security or morale, the city may refuse to place both spouses in the same department, division, or facility if the work involves potential conflicts of interest or other hazards greater for married couples than for other persons.

(Ord. 2410; December 10, 1985)