WiCorvilCo COUNTY ETHICS COMMISSION

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* COMPLAINT NO. 15-01* COMPLAINT NO. 15-02*

RESOLUTION OF DECISION

The Wicomico County Ethics Commission (hereafter “Commission”), in the matter of Complaint2015-01 and Complaint 2015-02, after consideration of the testimony and written documentationpresented to the Commission at four meetings held over a four week time period, does herebymake the following Resolution of Decision in this matter in accordance with the provisions ofChapter 37, Ethics Law, of the Wicomico County Code.

A. Background

Courtney Culver was hired as a revenue specialist in the Department of Finance on August 6,2015.

The Wicomico County Department of Law received an ethics complaint by email, dated August 25,2015, from a citizen asking, “if the hiring of Executive Culver’s daughter by Wicomico County in anyway violates any established rules concerning nepotism”. The Commission requested the citizencomplete the Commission’s complaint form which was done by the citizen and received on August28, 2015. On the complaint form the citizen listed four complaints. One of the four complaintsstated, “Executive Culver has used the prestige of his office to circumvent the County hiringprocesses and ignore rules that specifically address nepotism in the County Employee Handbook inthe hiring of his daughter Courtney Culver in the County Finance Department.” The remainingthree complaints made by the citizen will be addressed in a separate opinion.

The Commission received an additional complaint from the Wicomico County Council onSeptember 4, 2015, asking the Commission to determine whether the hiring of County ExecutiveBob Culver’s daughter, Courtney Culver, in the Department of Finance is a violation of theWicomico County Ethics Code. This second complaint also asked the Commission to review theinvolvement of the Director of Human Resources, Michele Ennis, and the Director of Finance,Leslie Lewis, in the hiring of the Executive’s daughter in the Department of Finance to determinewhether they “were negligent and/or culpable in violating the Wicomico County Ethics Law, theCounty Charter, or the Personnel Regulations”.

The Commission met to discuss the complaints and sent two letters requesting information of theDirector of Human Resources and Director of Finance with respect to the hiring of CourtneyCulver. The letters were dated September 1, 2015 and September 14, 2015, receiving responseson September 8, 2015 and September 17, 2015, respectively. At said meetings the Commissionthoroughly reviewed the documentation of this hire. Additionally, the Commission met with theCounty employees who participated in the hiring and interview process for the position Courtney

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Culver filled, members of County administration and other persons with relevant information.Notice of all meetings were posted on the County’s website.

B. Relevant Law

The Commission reviewed all applicable laws and County policies related to the above statedcomplaints.

C. Conclusions and Final Order.

There is no evidence Executive Culver participated in the hiring of his daughter, either directly orindirectly. There is no evidence Executive Culver used the prestige of his office for the gain of hisdaughter. There is no evidence Michele Ennis, Director of Human Resources, or Leslie Lewis,Director of Finance, used the prestige of their offices to hire the Executive’s daughter, CourtneyCulver, into the Department of Finance.

Based upon the Commission’s review of the documentation surrounding the hiring process andinterviews with various persons, the Wicomico County Ethics Commission finds:1. That Executive Culver did not violate Chapter 37 of the Wicomico County Code, titled“Ethics Law”;2. That Michele Ennis did not violate Chapter 37 of the Wicomico County Code, titled “EthicsLaw”; and3. That Leslie Lewis did not violate Chapter 37 of the Wicomico County Code, titled “EthicsLaw”.

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APPROVED this day of September 2015.

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Robin Hylloway

JeffrevBadeT