From the Brown staff, he is keeping Attorney Dave Ceraul on the Solicitor's staff, even though Ceraul was a Brown contributor. My guess is that McClure has a personal relationship with this slate belt lawyer that transcends partisan politics. He also plans to hold onto Mark Hartney, a Deputy Director in Community and Economic Development. Hartney is a relatively recent hire and appears to be apolitical.
The only appointment I know of for sure is in Fiscal Affairs. Steve Barron, the current Controller, will take control of that department. I had to waterboard him, but Barron eventually talked.
Barron will obviously have to resign as Controller if he is confirmed by Council. They will have 30 days to appoint Barron's replacement.
The day after the election, Peter Melan was reportedly on the phone, asking Council members to support him. Melan had served just one year on Easton City Council when he announced that he was running for Northampton County Council. He nearly ran for Executive. After a mega kickoff at the swanky Grand Eastonian, he did nothing. He just disappeared. The only time he's been at Northampton County Council was to sit with the DaVinci fish tank cheerleaders. I think his appointment would be a mistake, but that call is above my paygrade.
As for other cabinet positions, I have no definite knowledge.
Yes, I've heard the rumor that Charles Dertinger will be the next Administrator, but do not know that to be fact. Dertinger and I have crossed swords many times over the years, which means he's probably be pretty good in that role. He has never thrown me off the courthouse roof like Jim Hickey did, but I'm a lot heavier now. If he takes this job, it's not for the money. He makes a very good living managing construction projects in the Big Apple. If he takes the job, it will be out of respect and admiration for McClure, with whom he is close.
I've also been told that Ken Kraft will be the next Administrator. Though he's another proper bastard, I believe he will be the next Council President.
As far as the Sheriff's appointment is concerned, McClure plans to follow the process set forth in the Administrative Code. The position will be advertised, and after reviewing applications, McClure will send a list of the top three names to the President Judge. The Court will rank them and has the option of adding additional names. Then, after consultation with the judges, McClure will make his selection, which must be confirmed by Council.
Bethlehem Police Chief, Mark DiLuzio, has already ruled out the Sheriff's job. Chief Deputy Christopher Zieger, who appears to have earned the respect of fellow deputies and the courts, would be the obvious choice. But he'd have to surrender his career service status, and I doubt he's ready to take that chance at this point.
Will Missy Rudas be Northampton County's first woman solicitor? We'll find out next week. She searched titles at the county in her college and law school years. I actually worked with her, and she is extremely knowledgeable about the County and has the respect of the judges.
Will Nuria DiLuzio be Northampton County's first public defender? She is another excellent attorney with a good reputation. But one question that's sure to arise is whether she has a conflict. She is married to Bethlehem's Chief of Police. Will she and her office have to recuse themselves from all matters involving that department? I am unaware of any ethical guidance in Pa., but this situation has been addressed in Arizona. The state bar there calls for a case-by-case determination. Obviously, the potential for a conflict would be greatest in a case in which Chief DiLuzio is directly involved, but that appears unlikely.
At the jail, McClure said he's reviewing the administrative structure, and believes that the person in charge should be called a warden.
Update 11:20 am: I have been informed by a highly placed member of McClure's transition team that Scott Parsons has been offered the position of Deputy Director of Public Works, and has accepted.Parsons is a former member of NorCo Council.
73 comments:
Barrons and Dertingers. oh my!
We lost very intelligent and thoughtful county council people. With McClure wanting his people in government who will ask the tough questions? There is a concern that there is not enough institutional knowledge on county council now to know what needs to be done. Hopefully they will not be intimidated and will learn quickly so things do not go backwards.
3:36. Who are you?
You have such a wealth of knowledge and grasp on what the elected should do,
maybe you should surface from your soap box and let us know who is imparting all these gems of knowledge and insights.
The people who left were also green when they came in and some of them (Vaughn) never learned anything
Saying that you lost very intelligent and insightful people is just plain horse**it
The highly paid Clerk to Council should have the knowledge to instruct Council. If not, she shouldn't get paid that very high salary.
Is Trapp out?
actually the basketball piece was more interesting
Not impressed with the possibility of Ken Kraft as council president. His attendance was atrocious and covert support of John Brown led to a job for his wife. He also approved the unqualified tax cheat Cathy Allen for deputy administrator. Very concerning!
No mention of Scott Parsons? He would be an excellent choice to help McClure and county council in some capacity.
"Is Trapp out?"
You betcha.'
"We lost very intelligent and thoughtful county council people."
Excuse me? Glenn Geissinger was a slimy opportunist who spent a year running for Congress. Vaughn phoned it to most of his meetings. Benol was a partisan hack.
"No mention of Scott Parsons? He would be an excellent choice to help McClure and county council in some capacity."
I thought he was great on Council and would certainly be an asset to Lamont.
What? You have people who are already on. Cusick served before. The new people sound energetic. Also Heckman was a county councilman as well as the Human Services Director. No institutional knowledge?
Now that is a stetch.
Actually, Brown, Benol, Phillips, Vaughn and Geissinger had no institutional knowledge, and it showed. Heckman and McGee have attended numerous meetings and are already knowledgeable. Zrinski and Hefner have been at meetings concerning other issues.
Scott's a great guy - As a taxpayer I wish him well and success!!!
Bebri3e, I think the fact that Heckman served both on council and in an Admisntration will be an asset in seeing through any smokescreens that are out there. I have always found him to be rather straightforward whether we agreed or not.
If Scott is going to be a Deputy Director. Who will be the Director?
It’s too bad about Amy she really turned HR at the county around. No matter what Bernie’s personal beef is with her the fact is it’s night and day from what it was. Now here where Bernie will talk about a popcorn machine for the 100th time and Hover boards but the truth is she did a great job and I fear HR will return to what it was which is not good.
So what are Parson's qualifications for that position. Other supporting McClure?
@5:48 PM - You obviously don't work for the County. Any other employee would have been fired by HR for the Hoover Board, popcorn machine spending, and lost money cards.
Accusing Parsons of not being qualified in some way is insulting. Scott knows every inch of county services and how they work. Find some one else to complain about.
5:48, The popcorn machine, hover boards, abuse of the meal allowance and travel allowance, employee intimidation and the missing gift cards are all a part of her legacy. As a rule, HR Directors are unpopular. It's a tough job. But I've never seen someone so despised by the workforce as she. She claimed to be an "employee advocate" when her real role was to screw them over. Either she or her husband referred to the workforce as "entitled spoiled brat government employees" on this very blog, and she refused to apologize. She excelled at playing both sides. To McClure's team she sent a text message complaining about "unethical behavior" by Brown and Allen in which she wanted to take no part. Yet she unethically cut off the controller's online access to employee information, making it impossible for him to do his job. During the transition, she was very professional, I'm told, but that's only bc she wanted to keep her job. Lamont McClure was very impressed and then he rightly fired her.
I was not going to smear her on the way out the door, but I refuse to let this lie stand. She was a lousy HR Director, and should look for another field.
Agreed! First time I felt supported and had my questions answered in a long time
Come on now Bernie, HR is for Assholes. Dirty Harry said so.
That’s the second time I heard you mention cutting off the controllers access. Why did she do that?
You don’t know anything, Bernie! Keep talking to the same handful of people and you’ll get the exact same opinions. And the employees worth their salt know well enough to stay away from you, lest you twist their words into whatever best suits whatever hatred you are spewing that day...
She’s out the door. Let this crap go already! Why would she need to apologize for something her husband said???? There’s no lie; it’s called perception. One man’s archenemy is another man’s hero. It’s all in how you look at it. Maybe she was professional in her meeting with the transition team because she’s been a consummate professional all along, but the handful of people you speak with have a different perception.
And let’s see how long it takes for someone to assume this comment was made by Amy... when, in fact, it is not. Although I am one of the employees that have a positive perception of her and the work she did.
It seems employees that have problems with HR are not good employees. In my experience the only time I come in contact with HR is during a mandatory meeting or to sign paperwork. So if you’re a regular to HR maybe it’s you and not HR.
"She’s out the door. Let this crap go already! "
Excuse me, but I did not post the lie claiming that Trapp was good for NC. That lie had to be corrected. She is toxic. And yes, she is universally despised by the workforce. Brown should have fired her after either she or her husband posted that comment on my blog disparaging the workforce, and she refused to apologize. He should have fired her when he failed to account for numerous gift cards. She should have been fired when she spent taxpayer money for lunches for herself and her staff. She should have been fired when she sent an employee to las Vegas and New Orleans. She is the worst HR Director I have ever seen, but I was more than willing to let her walk out the door with no negative comments. But I am not going to allow her or her best buds post lies about her. If you want me to leave her alone, then stop posting lies.
The only liar here is you. It’s good that this is all in print maybe Amy will be smart and lawyer up. You know all about defamation don’t you?
"That’s the second time I heard you mention cutting off the controllers access. Why did she do that?"
Pure politics. She'll claim it's because Barron accidentally disclosed a social security number of an accused murderess for a split second, but what she won't tell you is that her office managed to have the social security numbers of all employees exposed on the intraweb until it was caught by Barron's office.
I do know all about defamation and you don't. Your attempt to inflate Amy Trapp for HR improvements is a flat out lie. She made things worse. I also forgot to mention that she wasted $30,000 in taxpayer money for punch clocks that will never be used. She should be sent a bill.
Oh yea, I think I saw that on the 69 news. SS# out on his computer screen for all to see. Yea, Barron’s a real winner.
Why won’t the time clocks be used? Employees not putting in an honest days work?
11:22, You saw nothing, and merely tried to play the political game. Funny how she did not deny access to herself after divulging everyone's social security number, and for more than a split second.
Ask the employees, all the employees if the HR is better or worse now than it has been in the past. I’m pretty sure the overwhelming majority would say the department as a whole, at both the courthouse and Gracedale, is better than it has ever been in their tenure. Ask them ALL, not just the 5 you seem to talk to over and over again. Not the disgruntled former employees who are former employees by choice, or because of something they did. Not the controller, who seemed to engage in some pissing match resulting from a tantrum because he didn’t get what he wanted for a minute, who feels the need to “reply all” on every freaking group email he’s sent. Ask the entire population their perception of the HR department now and what their perception used to be.
So who’s taking over HR now if Trapp is gone?
She did dump the "queen bees" from HR. So there is that.
12:18, I have spoken to several hundred, and have yet to find one that says anything nice about her. That’s bc she is the worst HR Director the county ever had. Now you have insulted me several times and insist on talking about this toxic cabinet official, but the topic here is who McClure is picking, not who he fired. From this point, you have to identify yourself to continue this discussion.
Ok monkeys fly away.
Maybe you work in her office idk. But she was a smart mouth bitxx who thought her way was the only correct position. You must be one of her chosen few.
Bernie your Amy Trapp supporter is probably someone who works in that office. That department is full of ASS kissers. That is the only qualification needed in HR under the current director. Wait till the lawsuits begin.
Several hundred? I hope the ten people that read this filth realize what a pathological liar you are now.
Really? Lawsuits? Who ya gonna sue?
6:58: I have spoken to several hundred. There are 2200 county employees, and I know quite a few of them. She is toxic. And your insistence on attacking me personally says something about you.
Go away mezzacraycray.
Additional comments from Tricia Mezzacappa will be deleted. I never said I did a survey. But over the past two years, I have spoken to several hundred county employees who have negative views of Trapp.
Ok.... but back to my question. Who’s on deck for the HR spot with Trapp gone? Or does the department just operate without a director or deputy, and for how long?
If I had that info, I would have posted it.
Ahhh... Scott Parsons, the little man who owns a stool in Wind Gap..
So good for the taxpayer on the COG of the Slatebelt... after all the Herioin epedemic is up and so bad regionally... but we have a new dog pound to be so proud of.. makes you want to puke..
Keep the little man up in Wind Gap on his stool and feeding the dogs at the pound...
And if I am? You mad, bro? Did you get turned down for a position in that office?
Will prayers still be allowed at meetings? People have a right to pray.
Looking for something to complain about? Pray about it.
Why are people worried about praying? who said they can't pray?
You've got it all wrong, Bernie. Ask the women in the courthouse how comfortable they are around Hunter with his sexist little inuendos and touchy feely ways. Trapp was well respected for the changes she made by those who didn't see change as a bad thing. If you did your job well you were treated well. And if you didn't you were made aware of it. So I guess the few hundred people you talked to couldn't except change,were not doing a very good job or we're chronic complainers anyway.
The fact Mc Clueless got rid qualified capable individuals in upper managerial positions just show how unqualified he is. There’s not going to be a re-election in his future.
No but the nature of your response shows you fit right in! What will you do now that you will need to produce and not just be a yes man? Some managers require output not ass kissing.
@ 5:26 -- You must be one of Amy Trapp's elite. You are on another planet and must not have been at work a lot.
Bernie doesn’t have time to do that. He was busy questioning SEVERAL HUNDRED people...
6:06pm he isn't even the executive yet. You are an ass to think or presume that there is not a plan in place.
maybe you should stop supporting people who like T-Bagging and start thinking or yourself
@11:13 No, I am not one of what you call elite and I put in a hard days work everyday. What I am is a worker who appreciates changes when they are for the betterment of the taxpayers and the workers. Trapp did that. I think Bernie talked to the few hundred people who expect more for doing less and in general are just miserable wherever they would work.
”Bernie doesn’t have time to do that. He was busy questioning SEVERAL HUNDRED people...”
The claim was that I rely on the same five people for my negative report about Trapp, I respond the number is closer to 200 and you act as though that is ridiculous. let me clue you in. NorCo has 2,200 employees. I know virtually everyone at the courthouse as well as an increasingly large number of corrections workers and HS employees. I have heard several hundred employees bash Trapp. My estimate might actually be low. The person who is bashing everyone is likely not an employee, or not anymore.
I’ve been nothing but a producer. Don’t worry about me. Now, go lick a finger, and hit that clock on Tuesday ;)
Bernie had a fit about an opening prayer at County Council meetings and bullied them out of doing it so and it was reduced to a moment of silence. Bernie doesn’t even have the respect to stand for a moment of silent prayer (whatever that means to each and every individual). Just further demonstrates his lack of respect in general. He’s a winner that Bernie O’Hare..:
Wow! Really? That just proves what a genuine piece of shit Bernie is. I bet Kaepernick is his idol.
The prayer at council meetings was like the ten commandments display, all for show with no real respect. Stop using them as political props for the masses. Live your religion rather than wearing it on your sleeve.
Political bushtit!
Council members need to grow some balls. If O’Hare has a problem with prayers at council then he should be asked to leave until the prayer is done and if he refuses he needs to be escorted out by a sheriffs deputy.
“Council members need to grow some balls. If O’Hare has a problem with prayers” - posted by someone who is obviously deeply religious.
"Bernie had a fit about an opening prayer at County Council meetings and bullied them out of doing it so and it was reduced to a moment of silence. Bernie doesn’t even have the respect to stand for a moment of silent prayer (whatever that means to each and every individual). Just further demonstrates his lack of respect in general. He’s a winner that Bernie O’Hare..:"
The fact that you pay such close attention to what I am doing reveals that you are not really using that s-called moment of silence to reflect on your own shortcomings. I am exercising my first amendment rights. You should read it some time. It is short and contains no big words.
I am generally op posed to pre-meeting prayers, especially those conducted by phonies who hang the decalogue while regularly breaching it. I support the practice that used to exist in NorCo and still exists in Bethlehem. Clerics from the area are asked to give a brief invocation, so long as the practice is inclusive and considers ALL denominations. I oppose any type of prayer led by a Council member, especially some Mormon Bishop like Geissinger, who commands me to rise and bow my head. In addition to creating a first amendment issue, this practice is unfair bc it creates the false impression that these elected officials speak for God. They do not.
Bethlehem's pre-meeting prayer practice would pass a constitutional challenge. The NorCo practice would not. NorCo Council has been too lazy to follow the Constitution. I complained to the previous Council to no avail. I have said nothing to the incoming Council. Born-again phonies have anonymously attacked me and the incoming council, and in ugly language. They obviously are ugly people who think that somehow changes if they pretend they are religious. It does not. They demand prayer while conspiring to screw the incoming executive with a massive tax cut and no money to pay the bills. It is true that i refuse to participate in these pre-meeting charades. I am perfectly willing to accept God's judgment, but not the assessment of anonymous trolls who are trying to score political points by pretending to be holier than thou. These are modern Sadducees.
That is why your thinking is off course, you are an atheist, who believes man shall decide what is good and evil, it is a constant moving target.
Excuse me, but the fact that I oppose prayers led by religious phonies does not make me an atheist. Your anonymous assessment of me is false. Your reference to Council as having "no balls" makes clear how deep your religious convictions are.
But as it happens, I have heard nothing about the cessation of the pre-meeting prayer. If you want to have them, then I suggest you organize and get a list of clerics of all faiths from the LV who are willing to come to Council at every meeting this year and give an invocation. That is the proper way to do it. Council members should not pretend to speak for God, nor should you.
Where did this prayer issue come from? Why are people so worked up?
Beats me. I heard nothing about it until I received this anonymous comment.
Randy Miller is coming BACK as Northampton County Sheriff!!!! He has some unfinished bussiness, and a pension he wants to go after! His EGO won't allow him NOT to try again! He'll want to be the ONLY Sheriff OR at least the first Sheriff in the HISTORY of Northampton County to be Sheriff TWICE!
He won't be. Al Diomedio was Sheriff twice. I saw miller at yesterday's ceremony, so he obviously wants the job. McClure has said he is following the process set forth in the Admin Code. I am sure that Miller will be among the top choices for the PJ and McClure.
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