Thanksgiving Eve Massacre comes early this year

                                                                              






Political appointee firings on the eve of Thanksgiving are very common during a change in administrations.

In Nassau, it appears the Thanksgiving eve massacre has come early. Or at least the demand for resignations.

All  of lameduck Democratic County Executive Laura Curran's political appointees were asked yesterday to submit resignation letters. If they want to continue in their jobs, they must submit a resume through the Nassau portal.

As you can see in the attached memo, the transition chairman for incoming Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman requested the letters from the appointees, formally called ordinance employees.

The county budget office reports there are 605 ordinance employees on board with the county as of the end of October.

However there are 73 appointees working for the county legislature. Blakeman has no control over them. Only the legislative leaders can hire and fire their staff. 

Board of Elections has 17 ordinance employees. Only the Republican and Democratic commissioners can hire or fire those workers.

The county clerk has 8 ordinance employees, who are under the control of elected Republican County Clerk Maureen O'Connell, and 10 are in the County Comptroller's office. Newly elected Republican Comptroller Elaine Phillips will decide their fate.

Meanwhile the District Attorney's office has 245 ordinance employees.

Reports are that incoming Republican District Attorney Anne Donnelly has asked her bureau chiefs for letters of resignation. But that is not confirmed as yet.

There already have been reports of firing in the District Attorney's office.

Just because appointees, who can be hired and fired at will, are asked to resign does not necessarily mean the new executive will accept their resignations. Sometimes the incoming executive puts the letters in a drawer to hold over appointees heads in coming months.

Blakeman today had a news conference announcing he was keeping Police commissioner Patrick Ryder, Nassau health commissioner Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein, and Sheriff James Dzurenda while announcing the appointments of several others.

He also said he will be letting some appointees go, though he did not name them today.



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