Vargo-Heffner, a Democrat, was nominated by Republican John Brown. Ken Kraft, a former Council President as well as an administrator at the jail, was nominated by Democrat Jeff Warren.
Republican Council members Brown, Tom Giovanni and John Goffredo voted for Vargo-Heffner (President) as well as (Heckman Vice President). Democrats Vargo-Heffner and Heckman voted for each other and themselves.
Kraft received voted from the troika of Democratic Council members (Ken Kraft, Kelly Keegan and Jeff Warren) elected in November.
Council-Executive relations are strained, to put it mildly. Over McClure vetoes, Council is conducting a pay study. It conducted an operational study of Gracedale that recommended higher wages for nursing staff. Council also voted to reject McClure's planned employee health center. At recent meetings, Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron actually accused several Council members of awarding grants to nonprofits in which they have an interest.
Kraft, Keegan and Warren were all supported by McClure. In his Council past, Kraft has never opposed any McClure initiatives. He owed his job at the jail to McClure, which vastly increased his pension.
With the exception of the trade union-friendly responsible contractor ordinance, the rift between County Council and McClure has nothing to do with Democratic or Republican ideologies, County Council supported repayment of student loans, which McClure opposed. They advocated higher wages, which McClure opposed. The rift instead reflects a tension between a County Council exercising oversight and an Executive who dislikes being challenged.
If the Executive wishes to be successful in his second term, and County Council is interested in good government, there needs to be a reset in relations. This is something neither side is willing to do. The result is that we all suffer.
County Council did vote unanimously on one matter. They re-appointed Chris Spadoni as their Solicitor.
32 comments:
Bernie, when you are right, you are right. You have said for months that these new council people were bought and paid for are McClure rubber stamps. They even tried to get the McClure employee to be president, that is amazing. I guess they followed their script. If they hated Hefner so much why not nominate Heckman? Kraft has been out of the council picture for years. McClures comments are standard McClure, spoiled child that didn't get his way. Should make for a great year for your blog. I feel bad for the residents who have to deal with this poor man's Trump antics.
I don't want a reset. I want McClure restrained as much as legally and legislatively possible. He won reelection by default. He's barely a legitimate executive. His elections performance in November disqualifies him going forward. Don't give him an inch. He's the lamest of lame ducks. Council should run things for the remainder of McClure's term.
Congratulations to Lori and Ron. It's important that elected officials be able to work across the aisle. It's how progress is made.
John Brown has arrived. Through his manipulation of the narcissistic Lori and her enfeebled stool pigeon Heckman, he’s wielding more power and influence than he did as Executive. This is a site to behold.
Well, I guess the private meetings to predetermine who will help who was true. Both Vargo and Heckman got what they backdoor negotiated for with Republicans, and Kraft, Keegan, and Warren didn’t . Wonder what restaurant or pub they all had their private “who to vote for” and “ what I want out of this” discussions?
“Enfeebled stool pigeon.” That’s not funny. Ron is very elderly and unwell. He should not be bullied.
Ron Heckman has told several people he’s suffering from multiple serious illnesses. His Council attendance was atrocious in 2023. Maybe he should resign.
Heckman missed so many meetings last year BO didn’t even do his annual Show Ponies & Horse Turds post.,
I’m starting to think Vargo-Haffner is a politic genius. She’s playing a Trumper like Brown and an old hippie liberal like Ron like a Stradivarius.
These three R's and Heffner w Heckman will now make the appointment to the vacancy on Council. This is good Bernie. McClure will not control Council. McClure is destroying our County Government. Let's hope these five individuals pick another free thinker or someone with experience and a proven record of independence to fill the unexpired term.
" leaders" - now that is funny.
Happy New Year BO and keep up the good work!!!!!
Ron Heckman is a joke. His ego is so fragile in an attempt to hurt McClure he’s siding with John Brown.
John Brown is a mastermind. He’s controlling County Council through the unwitting LVH and the half-wit Heckman.
John Brown is the big winner here. Lori has delivered him a huge victory.
I have an alternative theory. I think this all benefits Lamont. Especially if Brown gets the idea he might like a rematch.
CONGRATULATIONS to the New Council for starting the year off right. Now keep your senses about you and continue with the commitment to do the right thing for the people of Northampton County. God Bless
The County ran better under Brown. More are realizing this as McClure's poisonous tenure drags on. Brown forging bipartisan alliances to balance power with an unpopular and poorly performing executive is good government. The system is built to do this. The system works.
It's no secret Kraft wanted to be President. He has been soliciting votes among Council members since his election. He expected Heffner and Heckman to endorse him because they are all Democrats. But that's not the way good government works. Moreover the McClure agenda that Kraft would rubber stamp is a McClure agenda, not a Democratic agenda. There are features in the McClure agenda that we'd consider Democratic. Support for a trade union responsible contractor ordinance (rco), the voluntary employee health center, expansion of broadband, opposition to tax breaks for the rich, etc. With the exception of the voluntary employee health center and the tax break for an industrial development in UMBT, Heffner has been on board with McClure on most of what I'd call Democratic initiatives. They've differed on the way McClure pays his staff.
McClure has actually reduced benefits for nonunion employees. That is a Republican move and is precisely what caused an outcry among employees when Brown did it. McClure also opposed an effort to establish a fund to help defray the cost of student loans among county employees. I'd consider that a Republican move.
It is not about Republican or Democratic ideology. It is about oversight. The role of a county council is to provide oversight and not be a mere rubber stamp. We fought a revolutionary war to abolish the monarchy. For too long, and across all levels of government, legislatures have been too deferential to executive power, and the result is that we are losing our democratic form of government. On the national level, Presidents use executive orders to enact laws. On the state level, we had emergency declarations in which governors shut down economies with little regard to the consequences or orders firing prosecutors for political reasons. And locally, we have PT legislators that are ill equipped to counter an Exec or Mayor who wants absolute power.
Heckman is being attacked by McClure acolytes on this blog. I have often criticized him myself, but not on this point. Heffner is also being attacked, and I have been critical of her as well. Heckman has been preaching the need for oversight for years. Heffner has been providing that oversight. It has been sloppy and at times annoying, but that is government. It is not personal. It is good government.
McClure is a good exec but does not play nice with others. He needs to learn how to do that. I do not think Council is out to block him, but just wants to provide some oversight.
It was beautiful watching Lamont and Kenny pout around after the veto. Poor Kenny got up and ran out of the room . Probably to go look at Lamont and say. That was mine it was supposed to be mine. A little temper tantrum....
But now the sad part that big ego guy, that's the Excutive will now try to take it out on everyone. Because the kid who Probably got bullied his whole life now wants to show his power. SAD
11:44, I would take no satisfaction in what happened. This is about good government, not a petty desire to see someone pout. Frankly, Kraft should never have tried. McClure should be trying to build bridges instead of burning them. And we all suffer when the relationship is fractured. There should be a tension, a give and take, but not gridlock from Council or an Exec who insists that everything must go his way.
Bernie was Hefner’s patient !
Now the posturing will begin. Heffner wants to be Executive. Kraft wants to run the council Dems with Mclure on the remote. The R’s, including Heffner and Heckman, want to expose McClure’s temper and unwillingness to bend.
Then there’s the actual governing of the county, the budget, and Gracedale to fight about, again.
R’s might have chance to do well against these egotistic commissioner wannabees , by having the Dino’s Heffner and Heckman sucking up.
Agist attacks against Ron Heckman by the McClure hit squad are sad. The man has served his communities for years. What will McClure and his rubber stamps say when campaigning next to 80+year-old Biden. What hypocrites.
So let’s see who is chosen for council now to replace Tara. This already is shaping up to be more interesting than I thought (and I’m certain more of a disappointment for Ken and the other two newbies). That old saying “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it” certainly is the case now. Someone apparently thought someone was promised something and it didn’t happen. So let’s replace the Tara spot with someone who really cares about the county and not McClure’s ego.
Learn to play nice with others? This guy is a grown fucking man who passed law school and got elected. If he doesn’t know how to play nice with others, and hasn’t already realized the importance of doing so, he never will. Come on Bernie, you should know better.
I am posting this comment, which came to me anonymously. AI decline to post as submitted bc of the huge gap at the end of the comment. I will reject comments like those.
Below is the anonymous comment I received.
Lamont Trump confuses cooperation with control. His Trumpian temper tantrums are only matched by Kraft. He calls any who disagree with him a DINO yet people who know him well know he is the biggest DINO there is. He refuses to grant decent pay, instead he brags about some health center as a reason not to pay people, why not Pay people. New Jersey now has a mandatory minimum wage that is more than Northampton Countys base pay. I have been told He has done nothing for the trade unions that fund him, everything that helps them was proposed and passed by county council.
Anon 5:08, They had a big trade union leader lined up but thanks to McClure and Kraft that ship has sailed, and I am sure the majority will not vote for another rubber stamp. You can thank your local Trump.
Any chance this county will get a civil, well versed, well spoken, work across the aisle type
Council person?
"sight"
annon 7:58, not if McClure or Barron have anything to do with it!
Allegheny County’s newly elected County Executive Sara Inamorato took office 2 days ago and her first act as executive? She raised the pay of county workers. That’s what leadership looks like, you know who should take notes.
Maybe Kraft’s son will get a shot at joining dad on council Or …guess we will wait and see if Muncy
Has his preference to suggest to McClure.
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