Keepin' It In Da Family

Utica Mayor Dave Roefaro's embarrassing "Friends and Family" plan gets a little attention on today's Observer-Dispatch editorial page:

Shortly after David Roefaro took over as Utica’s mayor in January he began handing out jobs to family and friends, a practice that is certainly not in the best interest of city taxpayers.

Half a year later, things haven’t changed.

They should.

The most recent hire in the buddy system came last week when Roefaro’s urban and economic development commissioner, Robert Sullivan, hired a confidential secretary who also happens to work for him at his downtown restaurant. Sullivan said he hired Ashley Sabis, a part-time waitress at Thornberry’s Restaurant, because he trusts her and he hates “to lose young people who want to stay in the city.”

Both are good reasons to hire a person. But with all due respect to Sabis, it’s become clear that the key qualification necessary to work in city government is to be a friend or family member of the folks in charge.

No one is going to take Mr. Roefaro's campaign slogan of "We're all in this together!" seriously until he starts demonstrating that the city payroll is no longer an all-you-can-eat buffet for his friends and family. Sadly, I doubt we'll see he and his cronies stop gorging themselves at taxpayer expense anytime soon.

Robert Sullivan: Leading By Example

When word started getting around on Monday that Utica's Economic Development Commissioner Robert Sullivan was being foreclosed on by the city I joked that he was doing an outstanding job of "leadership by example".

Surprisingly, he not only agrees, but thinks the foreclosure demonstrates that he understands the challenges facing upstate business:

But Sullivan said his delinquencies do not affect his ability to promote development in Utica. He works with numerous small business owners who are having a hard time in today’s economic climate, he said.

“Who better to run an economic development department than someone who’s been there and is there,” he said, “someone who understands the struggle of an Upstate New York business owner?”...

“It should be a success story, not a failure story,” Sullivan said.

Let's not forget that Mr. Sullivan is also the beneficiary of the Roefaro "Friends and Family" plan, along with his partner Gary Rizzo. Mr. Rizzo collects a city paycheck filling the city's mandated "bingo inspector" position, a job that requires an absolute minimum of actual work. That hasn't stopped him from nurturing his own real estate interests, a field where he seems to be wholeheartedly embracing his partner's example:

The Hotel Street site that Sullivan and Rizzo own was on a foreclosure list from the city Comptroller’s Office that was published Monday in the O-D.

Rizzo, who is the city bingo inspector, is listed as a co-owner on two additional properties facing foreclosure.

Just another inspiring Utica success story!

Pylman's Pricetag: Hefty

Utica Police Chief C. Allen Pylman has 250,000 reasons to love the city of Utica.

"In a mutual agreement between the city of Utica and Utica Police Chief C. Allen Pylman, after 37 years of service to our community he wishes to retire," Roefaro said.

Pylman became police chief in 2001 after serving with state police for a number of years. Pylman had a contract with the city and he will receive more than $249,000 in a payout. After taxes that figure will be about $180,000.

WKTV has a few more details:

Mayor David Roefaro has appointed current Public Safety Commissioner, Daniel LaBella, as acting Police Chief until further notice. Roefaro says LaBella will act in dual capacity as Public Safety Commissioner and Police Chief for the time being.

Roefaro also addressed the rumor, stating that it is true, that he is petitioning the state of New York to make the Police Chief position a non-civil service position. This means that a civil service examination would not have to be taken or passed in order for someone to take the Chief position on a regular basis.

So Pylman gets a $250,000 payout and the city of Utica now has a police chief that, allegedly, couldn't even pass the exam for Sergeant. Oh, and Mayor Roefaro is doing everything in his power to remove even the basic civil service qualifications required for the post, presumably so someone unable to meet them can take over the position permanently.

It would appear the Roefaro "Friends and Family" employment plan is setting it's sights pretty high.

Update: That was fast. An anonymous emailer claims that all the paperwork surrounding the Pylman "investigation" has already vanished. That sounds a little iffy to me, since I think multiple copies have already been made, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were fenced off for "privacy" reasons.

Update: Here's the alleged narrative- "It's all Julian's fault!" It's already been arranged that the other high-scorers on the Chief's test will be leaving the department with hefty payouts of their own. That's going to be a major chunk of change, so Mayor Roefaro, purely for reasons of fiscal responsibility, will have LaBella take over "until the financial crisis is resolved".

Update: From the November 8, 2007 Observer-Dispatch:

Mayor-elect David Roefaro won't consider buying Utica police Chief C. Allen Pylman out of his 18-year contract, he said Wednesday.

Whoops!

Update: A kind emailer points out that Dan LaBella isn't actually the interim police Chief. During an interview on WKTV Mr. LaBella stated, in his inimitable speaking style, that he'll be the "intrum chiff for dose guys".