Local Government TV

Monday, January 09, 2017

NorCo's EMS is Code Red

Just before Christmas, I told you that Executive John Brown had named Todd Weaver to the EMS Director slot that had been vacant for 18 months. Because this is a career service position, no Council approval was needed. But Brown wanted to give him a Christmas present, and needed Council, to approve a wage hike from 76,351.81 to $91,051 per year. That way, at the beginning of this year, Weaver's wages would shoot up another two per cent to shoot up another three percent to nearly $93.000. Council granted Brown's wish, and Weaver saw a 22% raise in just two weeks.

At that salary, the County probably could have held onto Bob Mateff, the person whom it allowed to get away.

The Weaver selection comes at a time when the county is considering a merger for 911 with Bethlehem and is no reason for joy in the Christmas City

Weaver, incidentally, was a member of a selection committee that found everyone else unqualified. Weaver ostensibly had no interest in the position but conveniently allowed himself to be persuaded to accept it. Among those rejected was a highly recommended person from this area who actually had a master's degree in the field, and did emergency emergency management in the private sector. Another applicant was a high-ranking public sector emergency management employee within this area.

Brown's first choice for this job flew into town, took one look at whatever had been set up from him by Weaver, turned around and flew home. Thanks, but no thanks.

Then the selection committee refused to consider any of the qualified people who had previously applied.

Another member of this selection committee, incidentally, is Cathy Allen. She and Weaver have known each other for years.

as I told you in December, Weaver was engaged in what clearly appears to be a conflict of interest under the state ethics act. Cathy Allen apparently told him it's OK, though she's hardly an expert,has numerous tax liens and has a home in foreclosure. He was approving payments to the nonprofit fire school in Washington Tp for training. His father is an instructor there. His daughter is the Secretary. his wife runs the concession stand.

Not only does Weaver get to make these payments, but he gets to decide which outfits will not be used. Clearly he won't select a vendor that might compete with his fire school,whose reputation is such that many of the fire companies in the slate belt prefer to go to Monroe for training.

Though Hayden Phillips was troubled by these ethical problems, which were raised by Controller Steve Barron, the vote to give Weaver a 22% raise was still unanimous.

This department was supposed to expand and had the money for that purpose, but the bid came up a little short. Instead of finding the Money, Brown gutted the planned expansion and plowed the money back into the general fund.

Bethlehem's taking a closer look at ethics these days. Bob Donchez announced a gift ban. Olga Negron-DiPini and Michael Colon have proposed a local ethics commission. Willie Reynolds will unveil his own ethics proposal on Tuesday. As much as they need to merge with somebody, that somebody is not going to be NorCo if ethical shenanigans continue.

17 comments:

  1. Brown has generously doled out excessive salaries and raises, at taxpayer's expense, to all of his cronies. Someone should do a study of what Stoffa paid his top administrators with what Brown has weaseled out of the spineless Council. Brown is ripping off taxpayers to line the pockets of tax cheats, insider kiss ass favorites, and unqualified stooges. He and his team of "high performance" losers should be tossed out in November.

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  2. Salary increase except to the employees that work hard. Another constant receive morale is extremely low. They have to go!

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  3. "Weaver, incidentally, was a member of a selection committee that found everyone else unqualified."

    This says it all. Wondering if this is a violation of the State Ethics Act? This is the same scenario when elected and appointed board members across the valley say they are searching for position replacements then end up appointing one of their own because they just couldn't seem to find what they were looking for.

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  4. Go away! Leave us alone.

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  5. This is nothing new in Northampton County. Brown takes care of friends, council unanimously approves it, and we the taxpayers pay for it. There is no transparency and ethics are pushed aside. The problem is that the electorate is apathetic and keeps the clowns in [just ask Seth Vaughn]. Regardless of party affiliation, everyone of these clowns needs to be thrown out of office.

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  6. A concession stand at a fire training academy? Is this like a high school football game? Can I go? Do they charge admission? I respect firemen, volunteer and paid, but that is crazy.

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  7. Certainly this type of thing runs rampant at the County. They are constantly placing unqualified people in positions. Even though they post with specific requirements for a position, they overlook that, and allow individuals to get jobs anyway. It's happening at the prison as we speak.

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  8. Where is Ron Angle when we need him.

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  9. @7:22AM,
    The county fire school operates on a shoestring budget, and is not in operation every day. Students are not provided with meals, so they must either brown bag it, or purchase something. The concession is merely for convenience. It is not an operation that would be considered by any vending or catering company, as the lack of volume would not support its existence. Does anyone know where the profits from this minor operation go?

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  10. It should not be called the county fire school. That creates the false impression rhat it is under the county umbrella. It is not. It is a separate corporation. It makesno difference tome where the profits of this "Minor operation" go. The fact remains that itis run by Weaver's wife. He also descides what groups will NOT be hired for training. He is up to his eyeballs in a conflict.

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  11. If you look deeper, you will see that NCC is very involved in its operation.

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  12. Another fine story by the disgruntled one

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  13. And this surprises you?? LOL. This council are a bunch of idiots that don't care about the county's money let alone the taxpayer. Time to get rid of them.

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  14. 12:39 5 of them are running for re-election and i think they are the five that raised your taxes but ran on the T.E.A. (Taxed nigh already) ticket, then the first thing they did was vote unanimously for a 1/2 mil tax increase.

    but as one of the fellows said to Bernie the other day "Screw you pal i will get elected anyway"

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    1. If Dems are smart they recruit 5 experienced candidates with name recognition from Easton, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Northampton and Slate Belt Areas

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  15. That would be Seth Vaughn, who said "Who cares! I will be re-elected next year, pal." He made that statement in the presence of two witnesses.

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  16. The entire emergency management division needs to have increased scrutiny. A great place to start would be discovering what Nick Tylenda actually does to earn his rather generous salary.

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