Northampton County has independently elected officials besides the Executive. DA John Morganelli and the judges are actually constitutional officers. Their positions are created by the Pennsylvania Constitution. Although there is some tensions between the competing powers of the Executive and these other officers, they mostly defer to the requirements of the Charter and Career Service Regulations. But why bother when the executive himself is thumbing his nose at them? Morganelli could easily justify a four or five step increase for half of his staff, and declare he has no obligation to go before Council, just like the Executive.
Similarly, the judges could just start issuing court orders awarding payhikes.
The same situation holds for the Controller. though his office lacks the constitutional luster that accompanies the judges and DA, he could pretty much decide to bump up all his auditors.
This was a bad move by an Executive who thinks he knows everything and is unwilling to account for anything.
Jerry Seyfried, who basically wrote the career service regulations, is the Council member who negotiated a settlement when a controversy between the competing powers of Council and Executive resulted in a lawsuit in 2008. He managed to work out a settlement, but that settlement required that all these policies would go to the personnel Commission and then to Council. That never happened.
I have asked Council to invite Jerry to explain to Council (only Peg Ferraro and Lamont McClure were on board when this problem arose) the best way to resolve this problem. He can speak about this much better than I. Peg Ferraro wants to hear from Jerry, but not until the second meeting in May.
This problem has existed since 2008, so I suppose another two weeks will make no difference.
14 comments:
Who cares about Conklin? The problem is what is happening now. Brown sould have left health care alone since thats why many were there. Many were happy wirh the benefits and were not worried about the pay.
Why was Chief Zieger given a raise for his role as Acting Sheriff and the Lt. who served as Acting Chief during this time not given a similar pay raise?
Brown will take advantage of any loophole or obscurity to reward his cronies. He thinks taxpayer money is his to spend as he damn well pleases. What is the status of your Open Records request for his e-mails relating to the C3 contract? Brown should come out and support Hillary, since they are both champions of deception, and enemies of transparency.
i want another brown bag lunch with brown... but he doesn't come around any more.
The brown bag belongs over your head- in embarrassment for working for that clown.
Hey 7:21 AM and 1:27 PM! Read Lehigh Valley Ramblings April 27th, 2015 post. Either you are both just haters or can't read.
A Stoffa hater and Brown apologist for sure. Or maybe Cathy Allen trying to justify her obscene pay raise.
"Or maybe Cathy Allen trying to justify her obscene pay raise."
Or maybe someone trying to get a straight answers to obscene pay raises. I see no one has answered their question, which is interesting.
It was answered earlier this week. You just choose to ask it over and over. You are a little nutz in the head.
I think the question asked is valid. How much of Conklin's raises did he get in the first year and one half. I have been told it was as much a percentage as Allen's. If you post the amount then people can judge the truth for themselves.
What is there to hide??
Thus has been asked and answered. Now go and hate away somewhere else.
You know it has not been answered and you know why. Do you think all people are sheep??
How did that work with the Gracedale strategy?
No, but i am pretty sure you are cRaZy.
Soon Pandora will file sexual harassment charges.
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