Nepotism isn't 'in the best interest'

Some of the antics out of Springfield and Chicago through the years have clearly dismayed us. But a little town nestled in the Northwest suburbs may have just raised the bar for appalling political moves.

Kildeer, population 4,200, just OK'd hiring newly elected Mayor Nandia Black's brother-in-law as the new village administrator at $100,000 a year. Never mind that he has almost none of the qualifications the village listed as musts during a candidate search that cost taxpayers $20,000. That search yielded 13 candidates who do hold the listed requirements for the post, village administrator experience and a public administration degree. V

Village officials interviewed six of them, not including the new hire, Michael Talbett, a Lake County Board member and resident of Lake Zurich. They say they turned to Talbett when they couldn't reach agreement with the other candidates. Apparently they have not heard of expanding the job search.

At least two trustees recognized the blatant appearance of conflict created by the appointment of the mayor's kin, who works with Black at the same law firm. Trustees Vern Scacci and Laura Stratman voted against the appointment. But all three newly elected trustees - Ralph Liberatore, Barbara Stavropolous, Basel Tarabein - and recently appointed Trustee Lester Sokolowski approved it. The new mayor said the appointment was "in the best interest of the residents of Kildeer."

Hardly. We strongly disagree and feel the board needs to revisit this issue quickly. At a time when calls for ethics reform are echoing across the state, Kildeer's move is sheer mockery of good government.

It would be a distressing move at any time by any government. But it's particularly galling coming weeks after a new regime took office, especially after those candidates vowed to change Kildeer for the better. This is hardly the sort of change we'd recommend for any community.

It's not that the new administrator will do wrong. The problem is that there will be the appearance of wrong at every step. To hire the mayor's relative and business colleague for any village position would smack of insider trading. To hire him for the village's top administrative post even though he lacks the qualifications simply boggles the mind. It's the perception of an all-too-cozy relationship, the sort that has sparked difficulties in many other situations.

We share the nepotism concern raised by David Morrison, deputy director for the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. "The history of people hiring their relatives generally doesn't turn out well," Morrison said.

Talbett, meanwhile, maintained, "It's not who I know; it's what I know."

Really? We'd suggest that any qualified village administrator - ethically barred from all political activities or appearance of impropriety - would know that it's inappropriate to work for a town whose mayor is his sister-in-law.