Peoria County is crafting an anti-nepotism policy amid tensions between administration and a former employee with the county emergency management agency. Former EMA Assistant Director Carolyn Hayes resigned earlier this month. County Administrator Lori Curtis Luther says Hayes’ husband was paid more than $40,000 for a variety of county maintenance jobs since 2005. She says the current county anti-nepotism policy needs to be firmed up:
“It would be appropriate to look at a more stringent policy that would prevent family members of employees from having financial gain from business conducted by the county.”
Other issues were also at play in Hayes’ resignation. Hayes said in a letter to County Board members that she was forced out due to stress from the interim E-M-A Director, John Hamman. Further, Hayes says that she was more qualified to lead the EMA department after its last director retired. County Administrator Luther defends Hamman’s qualifications, and says that he will remain in place until a full review of the department is complete later this year.