PRO or CON or is it just a Con?
Dear Nieces and Nephews
This week, the Citizens of Orange County were informed that our dear leader, Steve Neuhaus, wants to add two director positions for the benefit of Orange County residents: Director of Economic Development and a Director of Tourism both to serve in his office. http://www.recordonline.com/news/20180116/orange-exec-wants-to-add-two-director-positions
Both of these appointments come with a price: Approximately $150,000/yr for the newly created Economic Director position and about $140,000/yr for the tourism leader to move from the Planning Dept to the County Executive’s office. ($77,000/yr for the Tourism Coordinator position in the Planning Department.) Also include a grade 10 secretary for each at $40K/yr, other assistants and expenses.*
Why would we need to create these two positions when there is no void to fill? The Tourism role is served by a coordinator in Planning Department although the position is now conveniently vacant. The Economic Development duties are performed by quite a few entities, mostly by Maureen Hallahan of the Orange County Partnership. After all, Orange County Partnership’s Maureen Hallahan, has:
“In the past five years, her team has assisted with the attraction and/or expansion of 99 companies. These transactions have generated $902,446,000 in capital investment and created 3,146 new jobs.” http://www.ocpartnership.org/about/staff.aspx
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!!!
And the County does not (directly) pay her salary which hovers around $200K. Does Steve plan on appointing Maureen, who would likely be the most qualified? If he does offer the new Director position to her, would she take a pay cut? Probably not, if the job of OCP President and CEO is still available to her. Will she get both and be a double dipper?
So, why do we need a new Director of Economic Development in the County government to do the same thing the OC Partnership is doing? If the OCP continues to thrive and Maureen continues to do what she claims on the website (99 companies, over 3k jobs, billions in revenue) then why do we need a new county position???
Additionally, what direct effect will this new position have on the Orange County Partnership and it’s various investors? Including the municipal investors, such as the Village of Goshen?
There is further redundancy. At the same meeting, this Education and Economic Development committee is voting to reappoint L Stephen Brescia, to the Orange County Industrial Development Agency (OC IDA) for two years (indicating that the IDA is not going away anytime soon). L Stephen Brescia, OC Legislator/current OC Legislative Chairman/Mayor of Montgomery Village, has been on the IDA since 2002!**
“The OCFC will achieve its purposes of lessening the burdens of government by undertaking and promoting economic development initiatives in Orange County through real estate leasing, acquisition, development and management, real estate project finance and other community-based economic activities.” http://www.ocnyida.com/funding-corp/ocfc-mission/
IF the Director of Economic Development position is created, we will have:
1. A Director of Economic Development, as a County employee with benefit package
2. The Orange County Partnership conducting Economic Development for the County
3. The Orange County IDA, also doing the same
4. The Orange County Chamber of Commerce along with the various Town/Village Chambers, such as the Goshen Chamber of Commerce, the Warwick Chamber of Commerce etc.
5. County Executive Steve Neuhaus who has, on may occasions, taken credit for job creation, attracting businesses and administering the overall economic development plan.
Five County-wide entities and numerous local organizations to attract businesses and to encourage economic development! Huzzah! The King lives! Long live the King!
How much Economic Development do we need? When do we stop “developing our economy” and pay attention to quality-of-life issues? When OC is totally paved over? That’s great for amusement parks, power plants, big government centers and labor unions but not for anyone to live here.
When does it stop?
When we have better representation in our County Government.
Let’s not forget the Director of Tourism:
Why not leave the tourism position in the Planning Department for less salary? Is it because in the new position, the Director of tourism will report directly to Steve and not to Dave Church, Commissioner of Planning?
Qualifications for both:
Minimum Qualifications? Friend of Steve (FOS)!
When Steve counted jobs jobs jobs!!! created, he forgot to tell us that they were FOS jobs.
We just can’t wait to see who they appoint!
Be sure to check out the rest of the agenda packet:
Isn’t it awesome that so many dedicated County employees “took one for the team” and accepted early retirement with the meager compensation* offered, so that the county could create new Director positions in the County Executives office?
*(compared to monies to be be dispensed for these director positions. When you compute the total cost to the taxpayer, it equals apx. $1/2 million each position. Add in the cost of benefits and the county full-use cars-to and from work!)
Orange County’s new tourism slogan:
“Welcome to Orange County, where it is easy to see who gets what.”
Steve Neuhaus, is now and shall be known from hereafter, as Steve “Noodlehaus” !!!
P.S. On the Personnel and Compensation Committee agenda in addition to the director positions,
A New Parks Commissioner! A Friend Of Steve from OC Department of Public Works whose resume would be quite impressive if he were applying to be a developer… A developer approaches land use in an entirely different way than a Parks Commissioner! And who else but a friend would address the letter as a job applicant in such a familiar way? Steve? not Dear County Executive? Do you see how arrogant the FOS are? They do not even attempt to hide it!!!
How about looking at more resumes, Steve?
posted by Auntie Alibi @ 9:41 AM
13 Comments
13 Comments:
OUR dear leader Steve Neuhaus, I A JOB CREATER for sure. Whats next overseer of VALLEY VIEW an its adjoining acres usage idea department. The tax payer an voters are being Noodled by Noodlehause. Speak out.
And yet even though it is stated by various county officials ad nauseam that “agriculture is the #1 industry in Orange County” (I don’t think that’s accurate but that’s not the point) this County still does not have a Commissioner of Agriculture and the Legislature does not have an Agriculture Committee.
Quite the example of disconnect.
Neuhaus an company could care less about farms unless they are farm exempt tax wise. Maybe legoland will be deemed a farm exemted FARM AREA. What a Sh-t show goshen any O.C. has become.
Same old steve, same old story. Pat Davis would have been a great improvement. Maybe pat will run for nys assembly against friend of steve, karl brabenec.
On Monday at 3:30, the Physical Services committee has been directed by Stefan Noodlehaus (sorry, can't resist) to (adopt) "Resolution confirming appointment, by County Executive, of James S. Brooks as Commissioner of Parks Recreation and CONSERVATION (lr #013)"
If it wasn't such a testament to cronyism is would be supremely laughable!!!!
When is Noodlhaus going to be deployed the Navy needs strong leadership plus keen military ides. Perhaps a Naval Base on the Hudson to help Newburghs plight jobs jobs Orange Partnership to the rescue or IDA or Chamber of Commerce. Gotta love it. Or yea R & R at Noodleland/Lego land.
That's it! Orange County is Noodleland!!!
Perhaps PAT DAVIS will run against karl boobenec. Lets hope so Karl can resume his 2nd job as PARTY MASTER at large.
That would be fantastic if Pat ran against Brabenec!!!
Would Karl then try and hijack the Democratic line like he did with the Monroe line? A man of integrity against the incumbent, a man whose integrity is severely challenged.
How did Pat do in those towns when he ran against Neuhaus? Pat does not have a suspicious past and would not bow out like Allegro did.
Something still smells rotten from when Allegro withdrew from the last race. He would have handily won had he stuck it out.
Stink is more like it and beyond his conversation with a phone customer service rep.
Now the baboon ODonnell wants to run for Congress. Maybe Brabonik will throw his hat in the race too, he was Nan's stooge.
THIS legoland situation really shows the DIRTY under belly of Albany,Orange Co.Town & Village of Goshen ny STOP LEGOLAND AN EXPOSE THEIR UNDER HANDED RELATIONSHIPS WITH OR ELECTED AN APPOINTED REPRESENTIVES. vote out these swamp dewellers. Thanks to CC4HV trying to STOP LEGO LAND SUPPORT THEM PRESERVE GOSHEN AGAINST OUT SIDE CORPORATE INTERLOPERS BUYING ELECTED OFFICIALS INFILTRATING OUR SCHOOLS WITH LEGOLAND PROPAGANDER PRESENTATIONS.
You can be sure it will be a FOS.
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