McMahon's Appointment Moves to January Council Meeting

Acting Chief Patrick McMahon will stand before the Common Council for a second time in January after the Personnel Review Committee voted to move his appointment by Mayor Sebastian Giuliano for approval.  The vote was unanimous, 2-0, with both Council members Vinnie Loffredo and Deb Kleckowski voting in favor of moving the appointment forward.   Personnel Review Committee member Tom Serra was conspicuously absent from this review of McMahon's credentials.

The small committee reviewed questions posed the first time McMahon sat before the Personnel Review Committee but did not delve into details of those questions.

In an opening statement, McMahon tried to disarm critics by pointing out that his first appointment review was derailed by objections to the process by which he was chosen.

"They were concerned with the mayor's process," McMahon said.  "It's unfortunate that that night was about the process and not the candidate."

McMahon declared himself competent, capable, educated and qualified, and said that he had heard that kind of support from Council members who otherwise objected to the mayor's selection process.

Kleckowski said she had to ask the question that was "the elephant in the room."

"After the grueling five hour vetting at that meeting, could you please tell me why you want to be chief in Middletown," Kleckowski asked.

"Being chief allows you to have more significant impact on the way things are done," McMahon responded.  "Middletown has a lot to offer."

Things got contentious when Loffredo asked seven very technical questions which seemed to challenge McMahon's grasp of Council authority, union negotiation, hiring and budgeting.

Loffredo queried McMahon on specific points of city law including a debate about whether the Council or the Police Chief could appoint acting sargents for the police department.  Loffredo said that in doing so, McMahon had overstepped his authority.

"As far as I'm concerned, you've exceeded your authority," Loffredo said.  "There are no ands, ifs or buts about it."

Loffredo also challenged McMahon's experience as a negotiator representing the city's interest in creating a new agreement with the police union.  He also asked if McMahon had spent any time reviewing settlements from other municipalities.  McMahon admitted he had not.

In a closing statement, McMahon asked Loffredo directly to assure a fair vetting of his qualifications at the Common Council meeting on January 3.  He pointed to specific instances where Council members had challenged where he worshipped, his age and what one Council member called his "incendiary personality."

Loffredo assured McMahon said that he would do all in his power to assure a fair review, and would count on the meeting chair, Mayor Giuliano, to do the same.

"The mayor has the gavel," Loffredo said.