Three eyeing appointment to Schenectady council vacancy
By Kathleen Moore
SCHENECTADY — Three people are vying for appointment to the City Council at this weekend’s Democratic City Committee meeting.
But whoever comes out on top may have a long way to go before actually taking the vacant seat on the council.
The committee will recommend an appointee, choosing between Mohammed Hafez, Robert Barnes and Ed Kosiur. However, the City Council made it clear last year that it would not be bound by the committee’s decisions on appointments, and some council members want to hold their own round of interviews.
Several Republicans have also applied directly to the City Council for consideration, while the Democratic City Committee is considering only Democrats.
Meanwhile, the only non-Democrat on the council, Vince Riggi, has proposed the council not appoint anyone. “Let’s leave the seat open. Let the voters decide in November,” he said.
Two sometimes-allies of his, Councilman Carl Erikson and Councilwoman Marion Porterfield, said they could live with or without a vacant seat until the election.
“I wouldn’t be upset if it was vacant,” Erikson said.
But Councilman John Mootooveren and Councilwoman Leesa Perazzo feel strongly that the council must have seven members this year.
“I think the taxpayers should be represented and the seat should be filled,” Mootooveren said, while Perazzo cited a tied vote in executive session Monday as an indication for the need for a seventh member.
Mayor Gary McCarthy is campaigning openly for Kosiur.
He said Kosiur was the “ideal member” because of his experience. Kosiur has been a city councilman and a county legislator and is now on the Board of Education. While some detractors have said Kosiur should not be chosen because of his long background as a politician, McCarthy said that was nonsense.
“When The Gazette goes to hire somebody, do they choose someone in the newspaper business or an auto mechanic?” he asked. “The reality is, people want someone who can do the job, who has the contacts and the experience.”
City Democratic Committee Chairman Richard Naylor said Kosiur has “enormous qualifications.”
Kosiur, who oversees all of Schenectady County’s youth programs, said he would resign from the school board if appointed to the City Council. His term expires in May.
He has already stared calling state and local officials to set in motion the many initiatives he hopes to promote as a council member.
He wants to set up a shared-services plan with the city, county, city school district and Municipal Housing Authority. The state has already offered to send experts to Schenectady to help, he said, estimating the state incentives for the plan could save residents $40 on their city tax bill and more on school taxes.
He also wants to work with the land bank to find a use for Elmer Elementary School, which is slated to close in two years.
“We have to understand, when we close these schools, what are we going to do with these old buildings?” he said, adding that he didn’t want it to sit vacant until it burned down, like the Brandywine School.
He is also working on ways to expand the county’s summer youth employment program and considering ways to expand the summer parks program to Woodlawn Park.
And he wants to start a monthly Coffee with the Council, in which council members would chat with residents at local restaurants.
“I’m very excited about this,” he said, adding that he was aware he might not get appointed.
“But I’m excited about getting in there again,” he said. “I really believe I am the best qualified, coming in.”
The other two candidates know they’re underdogs.
Hafez, a member of the city landlords’ organization and the Mont Pleasant Neighborhood Association, is hoping his grassroots connections will help him. “I am involved in the community,” he said, adding that because he lived in New York City for decades and works as a small business owner, he brings a different perspective to Schenectady.
“I see things differently,” he said. “There’s huge room for change. You have to be thinking outside the box.”
Hafez was embroiled in a lawsuit with the city last year over whether he was required to let code enforcers into his apartments for rental inspections. He said a forcible search was illegal without a warrant.
The city eventually dropped the case under the agreement that he would get rental certificates and allow the inspections, city officials said.
Robert Barnes is hoping to get the appointment on the strength of his financial background.
As an employee in the state Office of the Comptroller, Barnes audits budgets to make sure municipalities are spending state grants appropriately.
“In my job, I’m trying to save the state money,” he said. “I look for fraud. I look for detailed budgets. I want to make sure the money goes where it’s supposed to be going.”
He also questions municipalities when they report they had only one bidder for the job, so he shares a concern often cited by Councilman Carl Erikson.
“I think I’d be a good fit for City Council,” Barnes said, adding that he thinks he would be a better choice than Kosiur.
“People are tired of that. They want a new face but someone who has experience,” Barnes said. “I understand how everything works.”
The city Democratic Committee will try to choose among the three and make a recommendation Saturday, Naylor said.
He said he released the names of all three because the committee wanted to be transparent and do its “due diligence” as it vetted the candidates.
But he added that no Republicans had a chance at the short list. Some Republicans had said it would be unfair and undemocratic to ignore them, but Naylor said the issue was one of values.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate. We want to adhere to the traditional values of the Democratic Party: working people, women’s rights,” he said, adding that a Republican candidate “just doesn’t fit our values or our platform.”
John Muteoveeren wants to appoint a Democrat to the vacant seat? I guess John can give that person some pointers on how to lie and falsify his qualifications to be appointed on the seat! Just like he did!
And how many people could read that old story and think it's current
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
He said Kosiur was the “ideal member” because of his experience. Kosiur has been a city councilman and a county legislator and is now on the Board of Education. While some detractors have said Kosiur should not be chosen because of his long background as a politician, McCarthy said that was nonsense.
“When The Gazette goes to hire somebody, do they choose someone in the newspaper business or an auto mechanic?” he asked. “The reality is, people want someone who can do the job, who has the contacts and the experience.”
What made Molly MacElroy ideal for the Deputy Assesors job?
Molly MacElroy's Overview Current Deputy Assessor at City of Schenectady Past Graduate Student at Union Graduate College Financial Analyst Intern at The Ayco Company, L.P., a Goldman Sachs Company Director of Residential Life at Union College Education Union Graduate College University of Vermont University of Rochester
Molly MacElroy's Experience
Deputy Assessor City of Schenectady May 2014 – Present (3 months) Bureau of Assessment, City Hall
Graduate Student Union Graduate College Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Education Management industry 2008 – March 2014 (6 years)
Financial Analyst Intern, The Ayco Company, L.P., a Goldman Sachs Company Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Financial Services industry January 2013 – February 2014 (1 year 2 months)
Director of Residential Life, Union College Educational Institution; 501-1000 employees; Higher Education industry July 2006 – January 2013 (6 years 7 months)
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid - John Wayne
TIP TO NEW VISITORS TO THIS FORUM - To improve your blogging pleasure it is recommended to ignore (Through editing your prefere) the posts of the following bloggers - DemocraticVoiceofReason, Scotsgod08 and Smoking Bananas. They continually go off topic, do not provide facts and make irrational remarks. If you do not believe me, this can be proven by their reputation scores or by a sampling of their posts.
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid - John Wayne
TIP TO NEW VISITORS TO THIS FORUM - To improve your blogging pleasure it is recommended to ignore (Through editing your prefere) the posts of the following bloggers - DemocraticVoiceofReason, Scotsgod08 and Smoking Bananas. They continually go off topic, do not provide facts and make irrational remarks. If you do not believe me, this can be proven by their reputation scores or by a sampling of their posts.
SCHENECTADY -- With Schenectady County Democratic leaders surrounding him, City Council President Gary McCarthy announced Tuesday he will run for mayor this fall to succeed Brian U. Stratton.
McCarthy, 54, said neighborhood revitalization would be one of his administration's priorities if elected, attaching himself to an issue that many residents say is ignored in favor of downtown's resurgence.
The candidate said he will take an unpaid leave in July from his job as an investigator for the district attorney's office to focus on campaigning and his new role as acting mayor since Stratton left office April 3 to work for the state. ...
McCarthy, whose family moved to Schenectady in 1971, went to the University at Albany but never graduated. He held different government jobs before becoming an investigator in 1981.
Up until his 2008 marriage to Caroline Boardman, regional communications director at the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York, McCarthy lived in his parents' home on Wendell Avenue to help take care of them
SCHENECTADY -- With Schenectady County Democratic leaders surrounding him, City Council President Gary McCarthy announced Tuesday he will run for mayor this fall to succeed Brian U. Stratton.
McCarthy, 54, said neighborhood revitalization would be one of his administration's priorities if elected, attaching himself to an issue that many residents say is ignored in favor of downtown's resurgence.
Are you sure it was neighborhood "revitalization."
If anything, it's neighborhood socialism. Taxing the poor to pay the taxes of the downtown rich political cronies in order to get the kickbacks for the dems.
Taxing the homeowners to pay for some demolition of some private owned property in order to create socialized gardens. Taxing homeowners to pay for the demolition of a property owned by a billionaire political crony.
And the evidence has shown that this liberalism, and someone who claims to be a conservative but as a non taxpayer cheers for the liberal wild uncontrolled spending of tax dollars, shaking the two pom poms on his chest for downtown claiming the city is in a great renaissance when we all know that the evidence has proven massive reduction of the tax base, people fleeing the city in droves creating a grand ghost town.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
What made Molly MacElroy ideal for the Deputy Assesors job?
For the "Deputy" Assessor's job??????
The no-nothing mayor is appointing her to the Assessor's job. Her qualifications are her servicing the millionaires at that company in between her Union Collect jobs. Remember, McTHIEF is looking out for himself and his political cronies. Anything to rub elbows with the rich he'll do. And Miss Molly sat on his little committee to "tweak" Gary's taxpayer funded attempt at a socialized real estate business. And her tweaking has done what?????? Continued falling sales and falling prices.
And let's not forget how McTHIEF appointed his little Mary Mary to the assessment board when she was violating state law by having two STAR exemptions!!!!!!
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
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