Smithtown Officials Propose Town Code Change to Prohibit Hiring Relatives

Smithtown's elected officials have proposed a change to the town code that would prohibit its employees from showing favoritism by hiring relatives. 

Times of Smithtown reports Smithtown Town Board has scheduled a public hearing for its June 21 meeting on an amendment to town's code of ethics that prohibits town employees from hiring relatives.

The proposed amendment reads, "No elected official, officer or employee of the town shall participate in any decision to hire, promote, discipline or discharge a relative or family member for or in any position in the town government." 

In such case, a relative is defined as "any person living in the same household as the individual and any person who is a direct descendent of the individual's grandparents or the spouse of such descendent," according to the Times of Smithtown. 

Superintendent Patrick Vecchio pointed to the town's highway department as being notorious for hiring kin, according to the Times of Smithtown, highlighting that Highway Supervisor Glenn Jorgenson hired his own son. 

However, in the article Jorgenson refutes the claim stating that he followed personnel regulations within the union contract when dealing with his son. 

The public hearing on the proposed amendment will be held 8 p.m. June 21 at the Eugene A. Cannataro Senior Citizen Center. 

Read the Times of Smithtown's full article on the proposed ammendment aimed at curbing nepotism.