EDINBURG — City Councilman Johnny Garcia wants to change the city’s nepotism policy, which prevents his daughter from joining the police department.

Garcia said his daughter, Lyssa Marie, wants to join the Edinburg Police Department. The city nepotism policy, however, prohibits Edinburg from hiring people related to members of the City Council — even if they pass the civil service exam.

“If she fails, she fails,” Garcia said. “But at least she failed on her own merits — not based on my position.”

The City Council may discuss the matter Tuesday.

“I’m the one who actually put the item on the agenda,” Garcia said, adding that he supports the nepotism policy but wants to add an exception for civil service employees.

Garcia said his daughter is a well-qualified applicant who deserves a chance to join the police department.

“My daughter’s actually a college graduate with a degree in criminal justice,” Garcia said. “She currently works at the sheriff’s department.”

Garcia said his mother, Gloria, and his brother, Ross, also worked for the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.

Lyssa Marie wants to follow in their footsteps, Garcia said, but the nepotism policy doesn’t allow Edinburg to consider her application.

Under the existing policy, his daughter isn’t eligible for employment.

“A prospective employee or an employee related within the third degree of consanguinity, or within the second degree of affinity, to any member of the City Council shall not be employed by the city,” according to the policy.

The policy blocks the spouses, parents, children and other relatives of City Council members from applying for city jobs.

Garcia said he doesn’t think the nepotism policy should apply to police officers and firefighters, who are subject to a special civil service hiring process.

Anyone who wants to join the police department must pass a civil service exam, an agility test and a background check. The process also includes an interview with police officers, who make a recommendation to the police chief.

Garcia said the police chief reports to the city manager, who reports to the City Council, which helps insulate the department from political pressure.

City Councilman David White, who served as police chief from November 2015 to November 2018, disagreed.

“I, as the chief, had pressure from City Councils to hire certain individuals,” White said.

The nepotism policy is designed to protect employees from political pressure, White said. Changing the policy is a bad idea.

“We were voted in to stop this,” White said. “Not to — within our first year — add onto it or continue it.”

By placing an item on the City Council agenda that directly affects his daughter, Garcia also created a conflict of interest, White said, adding that he planned to ask the city attorney whether or not Garcia should recuse himself from the discussion.

“If he really wants his daughter to have the job, he can just not be on the Council. There’s an option for him,” White said. “In my personal life, my children are more important than a City Council seat.”