Commissioners Question Hiring Of County Leaders’ Kin

County commissioners are asking for information about three controversial hires by the Department of Social Services.

The Mecklenburg County DSS director, Mary Wilson, is under scrutiny for hiring the relatives of three prominent leaders: the wife of City Councilman Anthony Foxx, the daughter of Superior Court Judge Yvonne Mims Evans, and the daughter of Police Chief Rodney Monroe.

County Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Roberts said Tuesday she is concerned about how that looks to the public.

“The county doesn't look good, so we want to clear up public perception as soon as possible,” she said.

Roberts said she worries the public will perceive those hires as political favors, or what she's called “cronyism.”

The biggest questions center on Foxx's wife, Samara. She was hired in July for a $100,000 a year job as a special assistant to the director after the county posted the position on its Web site for just a single day.

Anthony Foxx sent a letter to Eyewitness News addressing the controversy. He said his wife is well-qualified for the position, and she had previously worked under Wilson in the private sector, so their working relationship began years before he ran for public office.

The director of DSS also hired the daughters of Evans and Monroe just as the county was considering a hiring freeze.

On Tuesday, Monroe denied pulling any strings.

“All I can say is (that) my daughter doesn’t need my help in solidifying her advancement in life,” he said.

But an e-mail from County Commissioner Bill James to County Manager Harry Jones asks for hiring records, resumes and other information about all three hires.

Roberts said she doesn’t want to allow the issue to fester, and she'll begin a discussion with the full county board on Wednesday.

“We need to clear this up right away. We need facts; we need transparency; we need to look at our policies and make sure they're being followed,” she said.

Roberts said she'll bring up the hiring issues in a closed session while the commissioners hold a budget meeting Wednesday afternoon. She insisted she's not drawing any conclusions that anything's been done wrong, but she said if it has been, she wants to take action right away.

PDF: Anthony Foxx's Response To Reports Regarding His Wife's Employment