Legal Services

	"One of the employees in my office is the mother of the sole candidate for appointment to the vacant Treasurer's position. This employee has been working for the county for nearly five years. Wil she have to quit her job once her son is officially appointed?"

Is there an exception to the nepotism rules for a tenured employee?

Under Government Code §573.062, a county employee may continue to work at the county even if a relative is appointed or elected, if he or she has been continuously employed by the county for a specific amount of time. If the employee's relative was appointed by the commissioners court, the employee must have been continuously employed by the county for at least 30 days before the appointment. For more information on nepotism, see our publication Pitfalls & Perils of Public Office.