NorCo Council Votes Unanimously To Appoint Matt Deschler as its New Solicitor

I told you yesterday that NorCo Council interviewed Matt Deschler to take over for Chris Spadoni, who is stepping down to open an Italian bakery in Greenland. Deschler went through the ringer and was peppered with numerous questions despite being a superbly qualified attorney. Strangely, at last night's Council meeting, he had to run the gauntlet again, answering pretty much the same questions posed the previous day. I would have changed my answers to throw them off. All's well that ends well. He received the appointment and votes of all nine Council members. 

NorCo Council Asks Tough Questions in First Committee Meetings

 I'd be tempted to believe that NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski would have an easy time with NorCo Council. After November's election, there's only one Republican left. But after yesterday's Personnel and Finance Committee meetings, I'd say that Zrinski is going to have to do a good job of justifying what she wants to do or she's going to run into trouble. Yesterday, she presented a proposal to switch around two of the political appointments allotted to the Executive branch for a communications director and an inmate re-entry specialist. Council was confused because she failed to make clear at the onset that these are political appointments permitted under the Home Rule Charter. 

Zrinski was also peppered with questions about whether there was money in the budget for these appointments (Dave Holland) and was asked for detailed descriptions of the jobs (Jason Boulette). 

County Council was respectful and it's clear they want her to succeed. But they are providing oversight instead of a rubber stamp.

And that's a positive sign.  

 

Have You Considered a Bullet Vote?

In the Northampton County Council election, there will be five winners and five losers on election day because voters can pick up to five candidates. This is where what is known as the bullet vote comes into play.

Bullet voting is a tactic used in multi-winner races. For example, on Northampton County Council, you may vote for up to five candidates. But let's say you really like one of them. If you vote for that person only, you have effectively given him (or her) five votes. 

In smaller areas like the county races, a bullet vote has much more impact. 

In this year's County Council race, a concerted effort by Democrats has been made to ensure the defeat of Council President Lori Vargo Heffner. Although she has supported Democratic causes like a responsible contractor ordinance and has advocated for continued human services and higher pay for county employees, she has differed with Executive Lamont McClure on issues like the voluntary employee health center. She has also been bipartisan, even to the point of voting for Republican John Goffredo as Council VP. 

In my view, that's no basis for voting her out. That's a basis for keeping her in office We benefit from different points of view in a democratic form of government.  

You might also consider a bullet for Dave Holland, a former Gracedale administrator, or Jason Boulette, who also takes a bipartisan approach and is even endorsed by some Republicans. 

Locked Out of NorCo Council!

Though Northampton County Council meetings are supposed to be open to the public, you have to be inside a locked building to get there. Last night, five Easton High School students and I were locked out of the building because the Deputy Sheriff who ordinarily would let us in was called away on a Protection From Abuse matter. We eventually got in, after the meeting had started. NorCo Council was conducting a meeting that excluded the public, in violation of the Open Meeting Law. They didn't give a shit.