IN MY OPINION: Game on, Bruce
By Anthony Bazzo
The Publisher of NCN has weighed in again on the topic of a town manager on his blog post “Bazzo Pong,” which can be read at: http://theblogcabin.com/homebase/bapar. This is in response to my column last week, “The hoax of man-made global warming.” As the purpose of that column is to interest you, dear readers, in using the NCNLocal.com version in coordination with the hard copy of the NCN as your source for local news and opinion, I wish to continue the discussion of the topic. Publisher Apar made again many compelling points and “In my opinion” must be addressed.
The publisher states, “Andy is among the unrepentant, anti-town administrator crowd whose understanding of the position could fill a thimble. Either that, or their willful misinterpretations of how a town administrator works could serve as landfill for the Grand Canyon.” The taxi business of which I am co-owner is operated and licensed out of a municipality that has a city manager, namely the City of Peekskill. So, I am very cognizant of the duties of a city manager. In Peekskill, this system works as the city is chartered to be managed day-to-day by a manager. The elected positions are part-time (with no benefits). When an issue of importance comes up, it usually must first be run by the city manager before it’s put on the council’s itinerary.
Unlike Yorktown, you must penetrate a layer of bureaucracy before you can have your issue addressed.
The publisher states, “By Andy’s reckoning, such appointed positions in other towns as highway superintendents and town clerks are ipso facto not accountable for their actions and irresponsible. He can’t possibly think that to be a logical conclusion.” That is a premise that I do not accept. The proper premise is that both Yorktown’s highway superintendent and town clerk are elected. Cortlandt’s town clerk is elected. There is no way one could argue that difference (being elected) is how a resident is treated when they contact these officials. When one has to face the voters every four years, they take special care in not offending that citizen. They will go that extra mile. As for the highway superintendent, ask any commuter or taxi driver the conditions of the roads during a snow fall between Yorktown and Peekskill. The fact that Eric DiBartolo must answer to the voters is that difference.
The publisher states, “But don’t take my word for it. Just give us one example of where, when and how a town administrator created a devastating or insoluble problem for a municipality that would have been prevented in the absence of that position. Just one example. Take your time. Operators are standing by.”
I do not have to justify why we need our present form of government. Bruce, by proposing another burden on the taxpayer, you must justify that added expense. Operators are standing by.
Finally, the publisher states, “I can guarantee that Yorktown will have a town administrator in the immediate future. Her name is Susan Siegel, and she just happens to have the title of supervisor. Functionally, she walks, talks and acts like a town administrator. Ditto the immediate past Supervisor Linda Cooper.” No Bruce, we will have an elected supervisor whom time will tell whether she will be an able administrator. In two years, we will see if her style wins the approval of the voters. Your two examples just expose that you prefer a hands-on Supervisor. Don Peters delegated: A proper managerial style.
Even though government should operate more like a business, government by its very nature is guided by politics. On paper, the idea of a town administrator looks good. However, in real-life friendships and alliances are made between those elected and those appointed by the elected. It is that human equation you cannot put on paper; it is also why the elected can hide behind the appointed.
Also, it is possible to have an administrator who is not on the same page as the elected officials, who may choose a different way their municipality should go in the middle of that administrator’s contract. This would cause friction that either ends by voluntary resignation of the administrator or the taxpayers have to foot the bill by buying out the administrator’s contract.
It’s your serve, Bruce. This is my opinion, you may beg to differ.
