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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, May 08, 2015

NorCo Council Questions Brown's Transparency

Bob Werner and Hayden Phillips
When Executive John Brown proposed a pay hike for clerical staff, NorCo Council went along unanimously. But it has been troubled by Deputy Director of Administration Cathy Allen's claim that the money for it was included in this year's budget. Hayden Phillips asked that it be made an agenda item at the May 7 meeting.

John Brown insisted that the payhike had been under consideration in February and was "contemplated in the 2015 budget."

Ken Kraft refused to accept that explanation. "All I heard was doom and gloom," he remembered. "It sounds like you're covering for someone," obviously referring to Cathy Allen.

Scott Parsons echoed Kraft's sentiments."Somewhere along the way, as Roger Clemens would say, you misspoke."

Lamont McClure stated that, if this payhike was being planned for as long as brown had claimed, it should have been specifically included in the budget. "You should have presented that to the public," he charged. "Shouldn't that have been in the budget?"

Brown claimed it was a question of timing.

Bob Werner was incensed that the Executive and Cathy Allen had refused to provide staff from Public Works who could explain what is going on with the bridge bundling program, a state program under which specific types of bridges are bundled together for repair at less cost to the County.Brown responded that they would just be "repeating the same information over and over," and that a request like that should have come from Hayden Phillips, who chairs the capital improvements committee. But Phillips agreed with Werner.

"To me, it's kind of insulting that we couldn't have these people come in and address us," stated Phillips.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

there is no transparency with brown. obviously this man has no moral character.

Anonymous said...

btw, the way Bernie,, love the picture of the administration "dream team". now I gotta throw up...

Anonymous said...

Can't a person from DPW just show up as a concerned citizen?

Anonymous said...

This Administration is an absolute joke. Council has not protected the work force and has enabled this joker to produce the circus that stands today. Makes you wonder of the 3 commissioner style of County Govt should make a comeback to NorCo.
Council needs to amend the HRC to include a special election to oust rogue executives or go back to the commissioners form of govt.
Enough is enough. Brown has been enabled by council to literally crush the paychecks and morale of 25% of the workforce with no raises and obscene increase in health care. Makes absolute no sense to discriminate against the staff that is non unionized and most likely are managers keeping staff focused and on top of things. More than a hundred already retired with more on the way every day. Literally the ship is taking on too much water and will soon sink.

Anonymous said...

UTOH! Better call Vic Scomillio back for a few questions about this raise intended many moons ago when he was Brownstains mentor! Will Scomillio tell the truth or just keep "running"?

Anonymous said...

Transparency? We're talking about transparency? There is none..never was any. Brown is a despot. We'll have none of that..and like it!

Anonymous said...

"Can't a person from DPW just show up as a concerned citizen?"

Sure you can...against the orders of the Administration. Then you will be blackballed by the Administration. Ask the Prothonotary what happened to her department, when she dared speak up about the personnel losses. She is being blackballed by the Administration. So, I'm asking, do you want the same thing happening to you?

Anonymous said...

Fear and intimidation are the order of the day with Brown and this administration. To expect employee's to go public is asking too much of them.They are defenseless against this tyrant and his cronies. Council has to act on their behalf now. Stop treating this guy with kid gloves. He shows no mercy thus he deserves none himself.

Anonymous said...

Interesting to see County Council meeting last night, wherein Brown orders his minions not to say anything and he publicly discloses it to County Council. This guy doesn't care.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, was Allen in the audience? I would be surprised since she has been the subject of much of council's wrath.
How about Barron?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Allen was absent. Barron was there.

Anonymous said...

I thought McClure gave up his seat

Bernie O'Hare said...

McClure decided against seeking re-election, but his term does not expire until the end of the year.

Anonymous said...

it's obvious by now brown likes to do things in the dark to benefit the few.