By TIFFANY RAZZANO
Martha Krisel left her post as village attorney last June to take a job as chief deputy county attorney for special projects. Calling it the right time to go, Krisel said she left the village because she was no longer enjoying the job.
In August, Village Administrator Ron Wasson left for personal reasons, and currently works for a private security firm in Manhattan. The most recent departure was that of Steve DeClue, who retired as superintendent of the building department at the end of December.
In November, A. Thomas Levin was named acting village attorney, while Michael Schussheim, Rockville Centre's comptroller, was named acting village administrator. DeClue's post is currently vacant, and Thomas Domanico, deputy superintendent of the building department, was passed up for the position.
"Perhaps there are more senior staff vacancies than usual, but this board has made it known that they will not fill these positions just for the sake of filling them," Schussheim said. "Rather, they will take their time and be sure to select the most suitable candidates for each of the positions." He said he saw a similar situation five years ago, when the positions of village administrator, superintendent of public works and deputy director of senior services were all vacant at the same time.
Trustees Jeanne Mulry and Andrew Karamouzis also downplay the significance of the vacancies. "Ron Wasson and Martha Krisel made their own decisions based on personal issues," Mulry said. "From what I hear, [they have made] very exciting advancements, and while I'm sure both Martha and Ron miss the village, and the village misses both Martha and Ron, the new positions are so choice, I can see why both Martha and Ron would have wanted to take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity for advancement."
Village attorneys and administrators are appointed by the mayor, and subject to board approval. The board has conducted an extensive search for an attorney, Karamouzis said, and has narrowed the field to two candidates. "The board is awaiting the mayor's decision," Karamouzis said. The board has also already received more than a dozen applications.
The search for replacements is hampered by the fact that this is a mayoral election year. If a new mayor were to be elected in June, he or she could appoint someone other than a replacement appointed between now and then. "An experienced, knowledgeable municipal attorney or other municipal professional would be wary of and extremely cautious about quitting a job and accepting a position just months before a scheduled village election," Krisel said.
Still, at a time when there is a major rift among the Board of Trustees, it's no secret that there was tension between DeClue and the Residents' Voice board members. At a meeting in September, Mayor Eugene Murray nominated DeClue to be reappointed as building department superintendent, but in a majority vote, Residents' Voice trustees Mulry, Karamouzis and Suzanne Murphy Sullivan, voted against it. The vote was more for show than anything else, since no one was nominated to take DeClue's place. He simply kept his position, considered a "holdover," Murray explained.
Surprisingly, when DeClue retired, Domanico was not appointed to superintendent. Though Deputy Mayor Wayne Lipton said he would have fully supported Domanico's appointment, the board's majority disagreed. Instead, he was named acting village assessor and acting secretary to the village Board of Appeals. "It's one thing to not support a building superintendent," Lipton said, "but it's bad management to do that and not have a number two in position to pick up the slack right away. If [Domanico] walked away today, there would be no building department. It just shows real mismanagement and bad decision-making."
Lipton said there is more behind the village's loss of these high-ranking employees. "It's the responsibility of the village board to create a positive work environment, and when that does not happen, you risk the possible loss of very good people," he said. "Considering the longevity of village employees and the loyalty they've had over so many years, it's extremely distressing to see person after person of high quality and caliber leaving. I believe the responsibility lies directly with the village board."
Reluctant to point fingers at any one person, Lipton said that the board has simply failed to create that good working environment. "It smacks of bad decision-making," he said. "The claim is that people are retiring. They're not retiring. They're leaving and getting jobs elsewhere. They just left."
Others say that there is an undercurrent in the village among department heads and mid-level employees who are unhappy with the direction of village government. As the political landscape continues to change - especially in an election year - many are beginning to fear that politics could play more of a role in appointments and reappointments. Given the current dynamics of the village board, Lipton does not deny this possibility. "If you start micro-managing, it creates problems," he said. "It's a definite problem. It also leads to political decision-making as opposed to just running a business."
He added, "All companies have different alignments and motivations that are not built on doing things in the best interest of the company. ... But in a village where that hasn't been the case, that has been able to run extremely efficiently for literally decades, it's disquieting to think that we're shifting into a different environment. My hope is that we continue to replace people with similar characteristics -- hardworking, knowledgeable, effective people. But I have grave concerns going forward."
Comments? Email TRazzano@LIHerald.com or call (516) 569-4000 ext. 221.
