Consultant’s hiring in Rockville Centre raises questions

Anthony Cancellieri’s main role as consultant to Rockville Centre will be to take on the duties of village administrator for three months, Mayor Francis Murray said, responding to concerns raised at the village board meeting on Monday night.

Cancellieri, a former village administrator, was brought on by Murray to replace current administrator Frank Quigley, who was hired by the previous administration. “When I came into office, I spoke to Frank Quigley and said, ‘I’m going to give you a chance. I’m going to be a fair man, and we have to learn about ourselves and our styles of governing,’” Murray recalled. “Frank’s a wonderful man. My style is just different than his. With my experience, I wanted to go a different way.”

Quigley has been offered another position in village government, but has not yet accepted or declined the offer. Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting was his last one.

Murray said he believes that one of the ways to put his plan for the village into action is to bring back Cancellieri, who he said has a great deal of experience in running village and county government. The mayor stressed that although Cancellieri will not be an employee, he will assume the role of administrator while the village searches for a replacement.

“Mr. Cancellieri’s role is as a consultant; however, he will pretty much be running the daily business of the village,” Murray said. “As a consultant, he cannot be called village administrator.”

Cancellieri expressed optimism about his return to work for Rockville Centre. “I’m very privileged to help the village in most difficult times,” he said, “and I am impressed with the progressive thinking of the mayor and board of trustees in seeking out expertise in an attempt to make Rockville Centre more effective and efficient.”

Comptroller Michael Schussheim, meanwhile, will replace Quigley, in title, at no extra cost to the village.

Schussheim has offered to perform the village administrator’s duties — which he has done twice before, after the departures of village administrators Ron Wasson and Cancellieri himself — for the month after Cancellieri leaves, between February and March.