City seeking to remove Civil Service commish

A member of the Long Beach Civil Service Commission has been asked to resign after he recently pleaded guilty in Long Beach City Court to several building code violations and allegedly threatened City Manager Charles Theofan.

Theofan is calling for the removal of Leary Wade — a longtime Long Beach resident, a community leader and a city Civil Service commissioner since 2004 — from the commission. A public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14 to determine whether there is cause to remove Wade, whom Theofan said has not indicated that he would resign.

According to a letter and a list of charges addressed to Wade by Theofan on Aug. 20 and obtained by the Herald, Wade pleaded guilty to several building code violations in July stemming from an illegal occupancy in the basement of an East Market Street home that he owns. Theofan said that Wade also pleaded guilty, in another court appearance on Aug. 20, to maintaining an illegal kitchen in a basement with illegal plumbing work at another property on East Hudson Street that he owns.

The move to oust Wade comes amid an ongoing investigation into the Civil Service Commission by Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, launched shortly after a scathing report was released in March by the state's Civil Service Commission, which concluded that the city's commission had failed to comply with Civil Service laws and regulations for years.

Theofan explained that his call for Wade's termination was not related to Rice's investigation, which also focused on two other commissioners, William Miller and Susan Mackston-Solomon. Mackston-Solomon was reappointed by the City Council to another six-year-term by a vote of 3-2 in August.

According to Theofan, Wade — who has been described by many as a pillar of the city's African-American community and an advocate for residents of the North Park area — violated his oath to support the city charter and code of ordinances. "Unfortunately, I was compelled to ask for his resignation, and hopefully he will resign," Theofan said. "If not, we will be prepared to proceed at the hearing."

Theofan also said that when Wade was shown the list of charges in his office, he became irate, pointed at the city manager and threatened him, saying, "I'm going to get you, or somebody close to you."

Asked to elaborate, Theofan said, "Only [Wade] knows what he meant by it. It was clearly a threat, whether it's a threat of physical violence or otherwise."

Wade said that he was advised by his attorney not to comment on the charges, adding only, "What they're trying to do to me is nonsense ... this doesn't make any sense."

In his letter to Wade, Theofan said that the Sept. 14 hearing would be overseen by a public hearing officer appointed by Theofan, and that Wade "shall be afforded the opportunity to present evidence and call witnesses." The hearing was initially scheduled for Aug. 31 but was adjourned at Wade's request.

Some city officials and Wade supporters, however, questioned the timing of the charges against him, saying that they amounted to political maneuvering by the Republican majority. "It's pretty scary how this administration is systematically targeting the African-American community for punishment," said one high-ranking city official who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that the building code violations were the equivalent of a parking ticket and that other city employees who have committed more egregious violations in the past have not lost their jobs.

"If that's going to be the barometer by which people are removed, then it will be curious to see if this will now become policy and applied to the entire administration," the official said. "[Wade] actively supported the Democrats [during the last election] and is cooperating with the district attorney."

Theofan disputed those claims, saying that Wade was appointed to his position by the Republican-led coalition, which he has supported in the past. Theofan also said that allegations of racial discrimination are "absolutely false," and that any city official would be held to the same standard as Wade. Theofan and others maintain that all of the

commissioners have cooperated with Rice's

investigation.

The hearing is expected to draw a number of Wade's supporters, many of whom questioned the validity of the charges and said they expect him to be exonerated. "This appears to be nothing short of a witch hunt — anyone who knows Leary Wade knows the caliber of man he is and will attest to his character," said the Rev. Isaac Melton Jr. of the Christian Light Baptist Church, where Wade

is a parishioner.

Melton said that Wade is very active in the community and works closely with the church's Project Youth in Motion, which helps underprivileged children. "There's never been a time that he has not stepped up to make an impact for the benefit of the community," Melton said.

Theofan dismissed claims of a "witch hunt," saying that the charges against Wade were serious enough to call for his resignation. "This is a commission that makes important decisions in regards to employment with the school district, the city and housing authority," he said, "and we don't feel that violations of our local code of ordinances are appropriate."

Comments about this story? ARifilato@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.