Residents prod Long Beach city manager, council over new hires

City Manager Jack Schnirman attempted to dispel rumors surrounding the administration’s hiring practices last week, after several residents and a councilman prodded city officials at two council meetings over a number of recent appointments at City Hall.

At the March 20 council meeting, where Schnirman gave a presentation to residents about the city’s “inherited” deficit, several residents demanded answers amid criticism that the administration tapped a number of its political supporters to replace outgoing officials or hired them to fill newly created positions that they argued the city cannot afford.

Among the changes in the administration is the recent appointment of Jeff Nogid, the former Nassau County budget director, as comptroller, at a salary of $145,000 per year — $15,000 more than that of former comptroller Sandra Clarson — and Jim LaCarrubba, the Town of Brookhaven’s former deputy highway superintendent, parks commissioner and deputy supervisor, as commissioner of public works. LaCarrubba is earning $17,000 less than former commissioner Kevin Mulligan, who was paid $147,000 per year.

A number of local Democratic supporters have also been appointed. Mike Cruz, the head of the Latino Civic Association, was brought on as the city’s community development liaison, a new, full-time position that pays less than $30,000. Democratic Committee member Larry Benowitz was recently named senior recreation leader, a part-time position that pays $30,000, while Mike Robinson was tapped as director of community development, at an annual salary of $75,000.

City officials maintain that all of the appointees were hired based on their qualifications. “Whenever you have a new administration, you’ll have a new management team …,” Schnirman said. “It’s the course of doing business, and we need a team that will rally around our mission to get the city on the road to financial recovery.”