Hollister City Manager’s use of own Recruiting Firm for City Hiring Raises Concerns
Hollister City Manager Ana Cortez used her own private recruiting firm to recruit a Human Resources and IT director and while Cortez argues there is no conflict because her firm provided these services pro bono, the act has drawn criticism from at least one community member and raised questions about whether it represents a conflict of interest.
Ethics Center's Director of Government Ethics Davina Hurt said that Cortez using her personal firm has less oversight and accountability because she has control of both recruiting and hiring.
“There’s just no guardrails in this recruitment process because of her business involvement,” says Hurt.
The issue is more about whether the city has a hiring policy that places ethical boundaries that can be applied no matter who is in charge.
Davina Hurt, director, government ethics, quoted by BenitoLink.