Mangano taps Theofan for county post

Former Long Beach City Manager Charles Theofan — who left office in December shortly after Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the city’s credit rating five levels to a step above junk bond status — was hired by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano last week, which sparked criticism that the cash-strapped county was doling out patronage jobs despite a hiring freeze.

Theofan, a Freeport resident who served twice as city manager under the Republican-led Coalition city council, was appointed deputy county executive on March 30, at an annual salary of $90,000. He will oversee the county attorney, housing, community development and planning offices.

“Charlie will play a critical role in assisting my efforts to hold the line on property taxes, rein in government spending and create private sector jobs for our residents,” Mangano said in a statement.

Theofan declined to comment. Though the county has instituted a hiring freeze, Theofan’s position, according to spokeswoman Katie Grille-Robles, is in line with recommendations outlined in a report by the auditing firm Grant Thornton — part of an independent effort undertaken to evaluate Nassau’s operations after the Nassau Interim Finance Authority took control of the county's finances last year.

Grilli-Robles said Theofan’s appointment is part of the county’s “managerial changes” that it is implementing, saying that they are consistent with the report by not adding to the cost of government.

Theofan and another recent hire, Fran Evans — the Nassau County Legislature’s former chief of staff under former presiding officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury), who was brought on as a part-time press aide — will replace two employees that left the payroll, Grilli-Robles said.

“No one can deny that County Executive Mangano has reduced the payroll by over $100 million annually, including ordinance employees in his own office,” she said.

Theofan served as Long Beach City Manager from 2004-05, and again from 2008-11. Prior to his first term, he served as the city’s corporation counsel.