A new scandal is swirling in Mount Vernon after word got out that the city allegedly doled out lucrative no-bid contracts to a nephew of Mayor Ernie Davis.

Reports say the no-bid contract netted Oscar Davis more than $82,000 for his work from July 2012 to July 2014. Davis works in information technology for the Mount Vernon School District. News 12 is told that he was hired by the city to do special work on databases for the Building Department.

Mount Vernon City Council President Marcus Griffith says that it seemed like the right decision to approve Davis' work.

"Oscar proved himself to us with a lot of technology in City Hall," he says. "What Oscar was able to do was take a database, automate it, streamline it and put it into a billing format so that we could get more revenue."

Griffith also says that hiring an outside contractor would have cost more time and money.

Just this week, city leaders approved more money for work completed by Davis. However, not everyone thinks Davis is the right person for the job because of his ties to the mayor.

City Councilman Richard Thomas, who just won the primary election over Mayor Davis, thinks that hiring Oscar Davis was wrong.

"Shared services between the city and school district should not include double-dipping," Thomas says.

Councilwoman Deborah Reynolds, who is also running for mayor, says she voted against Oscar Davis being hired as a consultant. She also claims she had no knowledge that he was related to the mayor.

Calls made by News 12 to Oscar Davis for comment were not returned. The mayor says that Oscar Davis is a distant relative, but he maintains that the city made a wise choice that saved thousands of dollars.