At last week's meeting, NorCo Council voted to table a routine budget amendment ordinance by a 7-2 vote, with Council members Jeff Warren and Kelly Keegan dissenting. They claimed they were never provided with enough information even though the administration had previously provided a 46-page explanation of the changes. This budget amendment also went through Council members John Brown's Finance Committee. They had plenty of information from which to make an informed decision. Yet he and John Goffredo added they would oppose the amendment as a protest "until the administration gets in line and recognizes the power of this body ... ." They are completely willing to allow county government to grind to a halt unless Executive Lamont McClure cedes his administrative authority and let them run the county. And when Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron attempted to answer questions that President Lori Vargo Heffner had about the amendments, most of which were answered to her satisfaction, he said Barron should resign. He also shut Barron down when he attempted to defend himself, telling him to sit down.
Budget Amendments are routinely presented about two or three times a year. They are discussed in a Finance Committee. The administration supplies Council with written explanations of every change. So it is actually dishonest for them to claim this was suddenly sprung on them.
They complain that the Executive and Fiscal Affairs Director are failing to do their jobs, or more precisely, failing to do it the way they want it done. But are they doing their job? They had all the information they needed. They also had time to ask for further explanation at a committee meeting in advance of the vote. They just failed to do their homework and then tried to blame it on the administration. They'd rather just shut the government down and attempt to make political points in advance of an election.
Though budget amendments are routine, they fund important human services to protect our children and elderly from abuse and neglect. They fund remediation that help our children from getting lead poisoning in some older homes, especially in the slate belt.
As powerful as a County Council might be, it has no power to administer. Though Council controls the purse strings, it has no power to decide how the elections office is run. It has no authority to instruct the Executive about how Gracedale should be administered or how many homes should be remediated for lead. That is the province of the Executive branch.
Goffredo denied politics has anything to do with his willingness to cripple county government. " I don't give two flying whatevers about political season. I'm not running for h ---.
This is an inconvenience at this point cuz I feel like we come here, and all we do is sling stuff at the wall. I don't care about anybody's electoral race."
Goffredo donated $1,000 to Tom Giovanni's Executive campaign. That's pretty amazing for someone who doesn't give two flying whatevers. And as Council member Jeff Warren reminded him, Goffredo is himself on the ballot.
Brown and Goffredo like to complain about the administration's failure to communicate, and in some instances, they could be correct. But not here. They had a 46-page explanation and a Finance Committee meeting. They just failed to prepare.
BO, what you say may be true, however McClure and Barron have consistently used smoke and mirrors to do things their way, not necessarily the right way. Their trust and believability factors are zero.
ReplyDeleteI agree that McClure and Barron should have been more forthcoming about moving money into Gracedale last year and about the problems in Gracedale admin that were investigated early this year. Council holds the purse strings and should know what is working and what is not. However, administration is the prerogative of the Exec branch, not Council. They like to claim that McClure oversteps his authority, but they are overstepping theirs.
DeleteAll this nonsense and bickering and yet come November 5th Tara will have won with around 53% of the vote and will likely get 3 of 5 county council seats. And as a treat maybe LVH can keep her seat. That will at least keep things a little entertaining.
ReplyDeleteBingo! We have a winner. Take the over on 53% and parlay over 3 seats for Dems. Poor performance with MIBs, no Trump on the ballot, weak turnout in primary and special elections will likely spell doom for Rs. Meanwhile Dems, Team Tara, and the McClure gang are highly motivated to keep their lucrative jobs, contracts, and pensions. See 2023, rinse and repeat.
DeleteMore like dysfunctional
DeleteI like Bernie's idea. County Council should shut up and support whatever McClure and Barron throw at them and vote yes. You should run for council. Tara can us you like McClure is now.
ReplyDeleteGot to hand it to Giovanni for keeping his mouth shut and living up to being a quiet man. When you have nothing smart to say, don't say anything at all because if you say something stupid then people know what you are. Now as for Brown and Goofredo, they tried it! And now all they look is stupid. Did Goofredo get lost in the moment of his diatribe or did he really forget his name is on the ballot and he's up for reelection? He just keeps crying and screaming about the money, but in reality we had an inside audit and an outside audit and Goofredo just wants to micromanage every single penny now, but that's not the job of County Council and he better learn his place and his responsibilities as a commissioner. Because what he's trying to do is wrong and anybody who votes for Giovanni, Brown, and Goofredo is ignorant and hasn't been watching County politics closely.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, it is hard to try and demonize McClure. After all he did keep Gracedale County owned, and he did balance the budget and even decreased taxes when Brown was over taxing the residents, and he saved and preserved enormous amounts of farmland to keep the quality of life in Northampton County wonderful. It must be hard for Republicans to try and say that any of those things were terrible, but I guess that's what they have to do to try to win. But just remember when there was a republican county executive he overtaxed the shit out of you.
Hey Kelly
DeleteWhereas Keegan opens her mouths and proves how stupid she really is. Warren and Keegan. Dumb and Dumber.
DeleteIsn't Barron's biggest brag (per this blog) that he hasn't been arrested and charged, yet? That's some serious ethical leadership. Meanwhile, where's the Gracedale employees' money? It's a simple question.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you and Northampton County hiding the fact that the DUI ARD program is suspended and DUI court was killed by the mini judges.
ReplyDeleteBernie - you missed the point of the amendment. Why is council not voting on these amendments one by one. Why is it in one big amendment package?
ReplyDeleteI missed no point. Council had all the information they needed to make an informed vote. They just failed to do their due diligence. Goffredo and Brown stated at the onset that they would be No votes as a form of protest. Because they dislike the current administration, they are willing to let the entire county suffer.
DeleteAnd suffer they will. Just wait until the first kid is murdered because no one could go out there and check on their welfare because Goffredo and Brown didn’t pass the amendment
DeleteIn fairness, I do not think we have reached that point, but we will if the political games continue. Brown and Goffredo stated at the onset that they were No votes. If they had their way, the amendment would be voted down until the Exec cedes some of his administrative authority. This would be totally improper.
DeleteWhen he was on Council, McClure made the same mistake. He actually succeeded in having Council vote down a pass thru bond bc of his disdain for then Exec Brown. But Council came to their senses two weeks later and reversed themselves. Whether you like an administration or detest it, the wheels of government must continue to turn.
Unions can strike. County Councils may not.