The city offered early retirement incentives to employees this year, and as a result there are more retirements than usual. The city budget, created and approved by the Council, assumed a savings of $200,000 from these early retirements.
The rationale behind the resolution is that the city should examine whether there can be some streamlining of government functions, eliminating the need to replace some of the retired workers. The resolution states that this examination should be done by the F&G Commission:
Now, Therefore, Be it resolved by the Common Council of the City of Middletown: That Ordinance 74-9, Filling of Vacancies that do not impact public safety be waived and that no vacant position(s) due to retirement shall be filled until such time as the Finance and Government Operations Commission has had time to review said position as to its effectiveness and efficiency.
There was some initial, pretty academic discussion among Commission members about whether this was the right approach, whether such a resolution should be passed just before an election which would lead to a new Council and F&G Commission.
Gerry Daley cut through the pretense and said what others were hesitant to, the goal of the resolution was to stop the mayor from hiring people right before an election which might bring in a new mayor, "I got a problem with that."
So the council wants to stop the Mayor from doing the job he was elected to do? This is why the democrats on the council need to be replaced. They are arrogant, self-serving and really only care about getting themselves elected, not the operation of the City. They want ALL jobs that don't relate to public safety frozen. Does that mean payroll, so people aren't properly paid; public works - so the roadwork is put on hold; sanitation - so your garbarge isn't picked up promptly. They want Dan Drew to win so badly so they can control the hiring, so they can give everything back to the superintendent of schools and so they can waste your tax dollars like they have been doing. The only solution is a republican controlled Common Council and Board of Education. Get rid of the arrogance in the democratic party!
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor is the Mayor until another is elected. He should be permitted, as Chief Operating Officer of City, to staff City Hall as he sees fit with full accountability to the public & Council for each hire. What would happen if Republican Congress passed similar legislation banning Obama from hiring to fill vacancies prior to election? Just asking...This happens every two years so if it is really a practical issue and not a partisan one, then let them change the charter so every two years prior to an election no vacancies can be filled.
ReplyDeleteCharter IV, Section 4 seems pretty clear:
ReplyDelete"Except as otherwise provided by law, the Mayor shall be directly responsible for the administration of all Departments, Agencies and Offices, in charge of persons or Boards appointed by the Mayor and shall supervise and direct the same... The Council shall not diminish by ordinance, vote or otherwise, the powers and duties of the Mayor, except those powers and duties imposed on the Mayor by the Council under provisions of this Section."
It's clear what Gerry Daley wants to do, but why not pass a resolution that bans all patronage jobs, all nepotism and jobs given to friends and allies?
I don't know where to start to comment on this. I'm disgusted, amazed, dumbfounded. Gerry Daley said it straight out that he doesn't want Mayor Guiliano to do the job he was elected to do. That's pretty honest for Gerry Daley. I'm with Ed McKeon on this one. Let the council pass a resolution that would end nepotism and cronyism in city jobs and contracts. But that would never happen. It would mean that Tom Serra and Gerry Daley could no longer reward their family, friends and supporters. To the Democratic Council members: STOP PLAYING GAMES and do the job you were elected to do, i.e. manage the city in a responsible, cost effective manner.
ReplyDeletewould this include the BOE people who are hired part time as part of favors to the Serra/Frechette machine???
ReplyDeleteP.S: What's next from the 'Democrats' on the Common Council? A resolution suspending elections so that they can concentrate on the problems facing the city? They've had 16 years of a majority on the Council, longer on the Board of Education. If they haven't fixed anything in that amount of time, why give them 2 more years?
ReplyDeleteSimple ridiculous. How does the charter support this. Wonder why people are sick of politics when stuff like this happens.
ReplyDeleteNow Middletown Citizens. Is this a surprise? Those people just don't quit...I have to give that to them. We have to oust all those that are causing all these problems and get this city on the right track again...Vote for Seb...He sure has his hands full.
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