King Lear, Starring Ron Heckman

Northampton County Council President Ron Heckman is certainly one of the most informed persons I know when it comes to county government. He's also correct when he says, as he sometimes does, that County Council needs to assert itself more. This is an issue on a municipal, state and federal level. The executive branch has assumed near dictatorial powers, but that's only because the legislative branch allowed it to happen. So I was proud of Heckman at the June 18 Council meeting, when he finally said No to an Executive who was going to assume complete control over $4 million in small business grants. Council controls the purse strings. On the other hand, I am increasingly concerned that Heckman thinks he is the Executive, and a rather nasty one.

This actually started at the June 18 meeting in which County Council made clear that the governing body, and not Executive Lamont McClure, would be awarding the grants. During that meeting, Heckman raised a lot of concerns about the Greater LV Chamber of Commerce, which was pegged to market these grants. When McClure got up to explain the Chamber's fee, Heckman told him to sit down. Yes, it is Council's show, but if the Exec wants to explain something they are all asking about, it's kinda' dumb to tell the one person who can answer that he has not been recognized. It's really dumb when that one person happens to be the Executive.

Heckman has a mean streak. In November, he smeared then Acting Registrar Amy Hess because she was not at a Council meeting in which they were discussing the disastrous November election. It did not matter that she was actually working across the hall on that very election. Heckman would later apologize (privately, not publicly) to Hess, but she decided she preferred being a Deputy. Fortunately, her successor, Amy Cozze, has treated her as an equal, and the county pulled off its best election ever in June.

Heckman lashed out again at a county employee on July 2. Heckman was miffed that McClure was not speaking to him. McClure is likely waiting to be recognized. So Heckman tried to unload on Mark Hartney, another very hard-working county employee who had just finished explaining the difference between two different grant programs to Council member Lori Vargo-Heffner. Heckman was actually cross-examining Hartney, and McClure stood up to defend a county employee.

"This isn't a trial, I didn't know you were his lawyer," snarked Heckman.

"I'm not his lawyer, I'm his boss," retorted McClure, who was unwilling to submit an employee to abuse. "If you want to question the motives of the administration, I'm the one you should question."

Heckman should know he has no supervisory authority.

Heckman spent most of the meeting bloviating in what is increasingly becoming a very bad adaptation of King Lear. Very rarely have I ever heard a man use so many words to say so little. This is totally unfair to other Council members, who actually might have some ideas or suggestions themselves.

"Speak less than thou knowest," the Fool told Lear to no avail. And so it is with Heckman.

I have previously taken Council member Tara Zrinski to task for her failure to use her mike and constant interruptions. Over the past two meetings, Zrinski appears to have finally taken this criticism to heart. She has stopped interrupting others, raising her hand instead. And when she does speak, she has been using her mike. I'm still no fan, and think her idea of having the Executive appoint Council members to an oversight committee totally defeats the purpose of having one in the first place. I was nevertheless appalled at the treatment Heckman gave her.

Heckman had gone on ad nauseum to explain why he wanted all kinds of information. Zrinski waited to be recognized and was. While she was in the middle of making her own speech, Heckman interrupted her and went on for about a minute (it seemed longer) when Zrinski sought to reclaim the right to speak after having been cut off.

"No, you're not recognized, you're out of order," said Heckman, banging the gavel as well. He then repeated himself a few times.

"You're not going to monopolize the meeting, Tara," said the very person who himself was monopolizing the meeting.

Heckman would later announce that he would be appointing the Council members to sit on a committee to evaluate grant applications. "I'm the President of Council, and we're a separate branch of government, and I'm empowered to do something like that," he said. Except he isn't. Council has never adopted rules of order to spell out the precise powers of the President.

While he may object to a power grab by the Exec. It appears he's more than willing to make some power grabs of his own. He's not King, just King Lear.

The Fool also told Lear, "Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise."

It's advice Heckman should consider.