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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Werner Condemns John Brown's Government Behind Closed Doors

Bob Werner and Steve Barron were both tossed out of an
Executive news conference last year. Reporter Joe McDonald
phones in his story. 
It takes about two years for Council members to find their bearing. Bob Werner, now in his third year, is no longer a rookie. He's a big believer in transparency, and is the Council member who was tossed out of a relatively meaningless Executive John Brown news conference last year. He is the reason why Brown later decided to post armed deputy sheriffs at a later news conference. At the last Council meeting, Cathy Allen refused to answer questions about why members of Public Works were absent despite his request that they be there to discuss a bridge bundling program. This could conceivable save the County millions over time. Werner has been persistent about getting the County in this state program. But Allen blatantly ignored him.

Werner has sent out the following missive:

In defining Northampton County Executive John Brown's leadership, I find his supervisory accountability confusing and secretive. Often without County Council’s knowledge, guidance, or approval, Mr. Brown has forged ahead, making perplexing decisions regarding job and duty reclassifications that have proven to be problematic.

Council has asked for months for written justification and submissions, as required by policy under established guidelines; it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Nowhere in the Home Rule Charter does it state that the County Executive can change job descriptions or classifications without written submission of specifics and rationale for the changes. Any good businessperson knows the importance of documenting performance outcomes and expectations; unfortunately Brown has not accounted for a number of job modifications, refinements, and pay variations.

It seems the transparency that John Brown claims to embrace has thus far eluded Council and the taxpayers of Northampton County. Council has had to rely on news reports, reporters, and the right to know law to obtain information that Mr. Brown and his administration should share freely with the governing body.

Adding insult to injury, Mr. Brown offered praise to departing Director of Public Works Rich Young, who resigned after just 11 months amid assurances that there was no longer a generator problem at Gracedale. In actuality, the generator is still in need of repairs and the residents may tragically find themselves without power should a natural or manmade disaster cause a power outage to the facility.

Citing a sense of urgency, Mr. Brown has also stated his intentions to strategically overhaul delivery practices, staff programs adequately, and reduce personnel vacancies. Aside from administrative appointments, these goals remain largely untouched.

Finally, Brown appointed a Deputy Director, who, in his absence, declined not only to address Council but also refused to step up to the microphone to make her comments public, displaying a total disregard for governmental protocol and the Sunshine Act. Meanwhile, she continues to be financially rewarded for working in shadows and silence.

Looking over the past year and four months, it brings to mind George Bush’s preposterous compliment to his FEMA director following Hurricane Katrina: Good job, Brownie!

Northampton County Councilman
Bob Werner

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Werner for County Executive campaign forming now. Get on board early. The only logical choice of the Dem. party to challenge JB.

Anonymous said...

He definitely wants the job as does McClure. We will see. There are a few other people out there being asked to run. Some feel neither Werner nor McClure have the full on county knowledge and heft for the job.

Anonymous said...

John Brown and Cathy Allen changed the job description for housekeeping manager at Gracedale to skirt the rules and have a friend of Cathy Allen's sister hired over better qualified in house candidates. This hire turned out to be qualified {even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionaly. She is still , as far as I know, doing three jobs and is terribly overworked like so much of the county workforce. I am retired from the county and really fear the irreparable harm John Brown's policies are doing to the county.

Anonymous said...

Instead of learning that you can't run the county like a business, all John Brown has learned is better ways of getting around the rules. Worst county executive EVER.

Anonymous said...

The county hiring practices are bad in many areas. County Council should look into how the testes applicants take are ignored in order to hire people that have an inside track.

It is really an epidemic and demoralizing as well as disrespectful to the citizens of the county.

Anonymous said...

John Brown and his husband Cathy Allen are a disgrace to Bangor and the county at large.

Anonymous said...

Worst county executive EVER.

Reibman was far worse. He left us with massive debt and birthed the swaption which cost a fortune years after he was gone.

"look into how the testes applicants"

Didn't that happen during the Seyfried administration?

John Brown will not survive a credible Republican primary challenge and probably doesn't run for a 2nd term.

Anonymous said...

Brown now has two openings, Director of Public Works and Director of Emergency Services. Let's see how long it takes to fill these important positions and who he finds.

Anonymous said...

Democratic party in the county is hilarious. Werner is part of this scene along with his wife. Brown is the worst EXEC ever, however Werner is a supporter of whatever his posse group is doing {usually behind the scenes}.

Anonymous said...

8:08 AM

You are correct, in that Brown has two openings (within his cabinet), but the Director of Emergency Management Services reports directly to the Director of Administration and is career service. The two openings are Director of Public Works and Director of Court Services.

Anonymous said...

BO, I don't know if this is off topic, but isn't the Brown Administration in violation of the Home Rule Charter, specifically Section 909, Relationship to the Judiciary. They have left or won't fill many jobs in Court Services. As I read that Section, only County Council can set the reasonable terms and conditions as to personnel within those divisions and the County shall (must) fulfill personnel services. As I understand it, County Council does this through their power of setting the budget. Am I wrong?

Bernie O'Hare said...

I believe you are correct.

Anonymous said...

Brown could care less about the HRC or what is right or wrong or ethics in general. He is above such mundane things and proves the point on a daily basis. the guy views himself as a benevolent despot. Off with his head!

Anonymous said...

"Reibman was far worse. He left us with massive debt and birthed the swaption which cost a fortune years after he was gone."

He also left a 70 million dollar surplus that Stoffa pissed away. The swaption was easy to correct at 2 million but the Stoff waited till it was forty million, leadership. Of course we now have a multi-million dollar unneeded building in the middle of Bethlehem twp., so I guess that something.

Please don't throw stones in your glass house Johnny.

Anonymous said...

John Brown is the worst exec. bar none. Others made mistakes, but this man Just Keep Making Them!

Peter J.Cochran said...

John may not prove out to be the worst. Reibman may be a front runner. Ie' I say that NO ACADEMIA be allowed by to run for any public office by law! Sorry Mr Mayor,but the teachers are HISTORICALLY not solvent.They lack business sense and have the propensity to give away the store! Well, Mr. Panto does not now exhibit this now .He is instigated with business sense. My Reibman never saw it. I sign my name.

Peter J.Cochran said...

I personally apologize to that nice lady that runs the Assessment Office about slackers in a prior post here. She and met and I explained how I know about this issue. That employee is no longer employed by this county ,Again she has a heart about her profession and her employees .

Bernie O'Hare said...

Very classy of you, peter.

Anonymous said...

"My Reibman never saw it."

He only initiated one of the greatest economic development process in the history of the area. In fact Southside Bethlehem can trace much of the progress to the Reibman initiatives. He also encouraged the county's economic Development Department that John Stoffa let languish for eight years. For Christ's sake, learn about reality before you post such stupid comments.

JD