N. Hempstead Democrats move patronage appointees into $800,000 in new jobs

It's going to be a long two years ahead for the Town of North Hempstead.

The town board had its first meeting Thursday evening after a new Republican supervisor Jennifer DeSena took office -- following 32 years of Democratic supervisors. In addition, two new Republicans and one new Democrat joined the existing three Democratic town board members, leaving Democrats in 4-3 control.

And what a meeting it was. 

Jennifer DeSena

Board members argued; they ignored each other; they interrupted; they complained. Each side stressed the need for transparency but Democrats refused to answer direct questions from their Republican colleagues, who complained about being shut out of the town board office.

There appeared to be struggle between newly re-elected Democrat Board member Robert Troiano and incumbent Board member Democrat Veronica Lurvey as to who was really running the meeting. It  clearly wasn't DeSena. Troiano, who persistently lectured his colleagues about how the town works, seemed to win the battle.

                                                                                      

Robert Troiano (from Westbury School district)

The only thing missing was carnival music.

Then, despite clashing all evening,  board members concluded by saying they want to work together  as a family. 

Audience member and Manhasset resident Andrew Schwenk wasn't having it.

 "I heard all of you say these beautiful things," he told the board. "But everyone in this room and online  heard you bickering all evening."

The main issue of contention was moving nine Democratic political appointees from the office of the supervisor and town clerk, in which a Republican replaced a Democrat, into different positions in the town.

All nine were likely to lose their old jobs with the change in administration.

Of the nine being moved, seven were transferred into other non-competitive positions and two into union jobs, for a total of about $800,000 in transfers.

The personnel resolution also approved hiring eight new appointees for DeSena and the new clerk to replace the transferred employees.

Tom McDonough, president of North Hempstead Town's CSEA local 7555, told the board, "I find it amazing that we were able to find funds to support these positions but we haven't been able to replace several union positions within the past couple of years." 

He said town departments, particularly parks, are "grossly understaffed everywhere."

McDonough added, "I'm friends with some of these people. They knew coming into this it was a patronage job and that when their elected official was out, they were as well, As former supervisor May Newburger said, 'They make more money because they may only be here for two years.'"

DeSena complained that the board was cutting her budget by moving those employees, but Democrats said that was not true. 

They gave this explanation of where the additional $800,000 was coming from:

"The budget transfers  being proposed tonight, as amended, are focused on funding the actions included in the personnel resolution," Lurvey said, reading a prepared statement. 

Veronica Lurvey

She said the $804,136.08 in transfers "does not include the use of contingencies or appropriation of fund balances in the general fund."

Instead, she said, the resolution "moves operational savings, including filling budgeted vacant exempt positions, eliminating exempt raises in 2022, capitalizing certain operating expenses, bringing more work in-house, among others."

Wait.

"Capitalizing certain operating expenses?"

In financial terms, that means borrowing to pay operating expenses, the same kind of questionable financial dealings that drove Nassau County and Long Beach into the red.

Now they're borrowing to help pay for patronage salaries?

New Republican councilman  David Adhami said he couldn't follow the budget resolution detailing where the money was coming from, particularly an amendment that even Lurvey had to pause and wait for a copy of the explanation before reading outloud.

David Adhami

"Maybe Councilman Troiano can explain all this to me because he said it was easy and you could line it up," Adhami said. "I'm not as quick. Can you explain? You said the budget lines up."

Troiano responded, "I’d be happy to meet with you tomorrow to explain it."

"Why not explain it now?" Adhami asked. "I want to vote on it and I want to be informed.

"You've been explaining everything all night...why stop now?"

Troiano said, "You're not going to direct me when to talk and when not to talk."

"I’m not going to teach a class to you tonight."

Adhami said, "I’d love to have a class tonight."

Troiano said, "I’ll offer to do that for you tomorrow but not tonight."

The personnel resolution, amendment and budget transfers were passed by party-line 4-3 votes.

The town board also appointed a new town attorney, John Chiara, a refugee from the defeated Democratic administration of Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.

The two Republican board members complained they hadn't been able to interview Chiara or vet him,  and just learned of his proposed hiring.

They asked if other candidates had been interviewed.

"We interviewed we believe a sufficient number of candidates, " Lurvey said.

When asked how many, she responded, "I don’t think it would be appropriate to go into the details."

Does he live in North Hempstead?

"Yes," she answered. "Garden City."

But Garden City isn't in North Hempstead.

Still, Lurvey said,  Chiaro "is an extraordinary candidate. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the town."

Chiara was hired by Curran as the deputy county executive for "compliance." She later made him acting county attorney.

Though he was in charge of ethics and compliance, he never disclosed to the county legislature that he had worked for principals of Manhattan technology firm Exiger LLC when he was arguing in favor of giving the company a half-million dollar country contract to oversee construction of the new police training academy.

County law did not require such disclosures from county employees. But Curran pulled the contract after legislators questioned preferential treatment and the selection process.

Chiara was hired by the Town Board Thursday on a 5-2 vote, with DeSena voting  in favor.

"I am going to vote yes for  Mr. Chiara because he has a wonderful resume and history of service," she said. "I only object to the lack of participation of the whole town board in his selection."

                      

 

                                                                          

Personnel Resolution provided and highlighted by Supervisor's staff