Wightman said the warning also indicated that this was not the first time nepotism issues had surfaced within the office. McGowan had failed to correct those problems, Wightman said, and didn't write the warning until employees from the clerk and personnel offices complained about Arrigo's role in hiring his wife.

"They need internal standard operating procedures that take away these gray areas and don't allow the latitude of these different personnel people," Wightman said.

Mayor Peter Corroon said he is still absorbing the audit findings and has not yet determined what, if any, discipline is needed for Arrigo or McGowan.

"It's obvious wrongdoing. Clear nepotism and obvious conflicts like that are things you should not have to spell out to somebody in writing," Corroon said.

Corroon added that the audit is an example of a culture that has spread among county offices where wrongdoing is tolerated by supervisors. That culture, he said, needs to change, and his administration is working to squelch any allowance of questionable practices.

Although Thomas said it is not his decision whether McGowan will retain control over the personnel office, he said the division does lack "strong management oversight."

"There are people that have a lot of power, and the personnel director is one of those," Thomas said. "That person's got to be tough and dedicated to an objective and fair process."

A new nepotism policy passed by the County Council this year aims to restore some of that objectivity by prohibiting employees from influencing the hiring of a relative or supervising a relative.

But the audit suggested a division-specific policy also needs to be written to prohibit personnel managers from being involved in the hiring of family members or making salary determinations for a family member, the audit said.

The report also recommends creating a standard operating procedure that will address all aspects of personnel recruitment, hiring and salary determination.

Those procedures could have helped the personnel department avoid some of the scandal it has encountered in the past year including allegations of time card fraud and abuse of the county's tuition reimbursement system, Thomas said.

A previous audit revealed employees were receiving tuition payments when they were not enrolled in college courses. Much of that confusion, Thomas said, stemmed from the lack of a uniform management policy.

Thomas is currently looking into the time card allegations and will likely assess each division's compliance during routine audits throughout the year.

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Audit recommendations

1. All personnel managers, analysts and specialists recuse themselves from hiring matters involving family members.

2. Implement a clear, written and unambiguous policy prohibiting mangers, analysts and specialists from preparing or certifying a candidate list where family members are applicants and from conducting salary survey research for a position held by a family member.

3. Develop comprehensive standard operating procedures addressing all aspects of personnel recruitment, hiring and salary grading as required by state statute.

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com