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Mostly Cloudy Three top city jobs open upOlson named corporation counsel
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In addition, two other crucial positions in City Hall have come open in the past month, the secretary to the Civil Service Commission and the city's director of public relations.
But the city has announced that Carolyn Cairns Olson has been appointed the city's corporation counsel, replacing Theofan and acting Corporation Counsel Corey Klein. A Malverne resident, Olson has been a bureau chief and deputy Nassau County attorney since October 2002. She worked in the Long Beach corporation counsel's office from September 1978 to December 1985.
Meanwhile, Schildkraut confirmed Monday that she had accepted a position in the private sector, but would not say where. She added that the position had been offered to her, and that she had not been looking to leave. "It's been an honor" serving the city, Schildkraut said.
In other personnel news, Joseph Marron was dismissed by the city manager from his position in the civil service office last week. A political appointee who was a holdover from the Spiritis administration, Marron had replaced Nassau County Democratic Committee member Lee Biddison after the coalition council was elected in 2003. He also held the titles of city treasurer and municipal personnel technician.
The treasurer's job carries a nice title, but over the years its responsibilities have been marginalized, Theofan said. "I was reading the charter, and the treasurer actually does have things he's supposed to do, but no treasurer ever did," he said.
Additionally, Christine Hirschfeld was dismissed as the city's public relations director March 11 after roughly a year in that position.
Theofan said he is actively interviewing candidates for all three jobs, but added that he is keeping his options open.
The city's public relations apparatus has had something of a revolving door since the 2003 election. Spiritis brought in Hirschfeld and Michael Abrahams, who had worked for Spiritis in Hempstead Village, replacing Kerry Ann Ryan Troy but keeping Matthew Dwyer as the city's public information officer, a separate job that operates out of the city manager's office. Dwyer was later dismissed, and Abrahams, who was brought on as a de facto assistant city manager, was eventually let go as well.
The city also has the option of retaining an outside public relations firm rather than filling Hirschfeld's $47,062 job and the vacant public information officer job - which has a similar salary - and saving itself the expense of paying an additional city employee, with benefits and pension costs.
The Long Beach City School District, for instance, each year pays about $25,000 into a fund with neighboring school districts to retain Syntax Communications, a West Sayville-based public relations firm, to handle the schools' basic PR needs. A PR executive, Terry Gilberti, is assigned to the Long Beach district and handles everything from photographs of students receiving awards to helping the superintendent of schools spin last week's incident in which a teacher was arrested.
On the other hand, there is some pressure on the city to maintain a local face in the PR position, which not only deals with the media on a day-to-day basis but also works with local charitable and civic organizations.
In making these moves, Theofan has the support of the coalition members of the City Council. "We hired him to streamline the organization of city government," said City Council President Jim Hennessy. "And that's what he's doing."
But Theofan has been left somewhat in the lurch by Schildkraut's announcement, since he is required to present his draft 2005-06 budget to the City Council on April 10.
Is it mostly completed? "In form yes; in substance, no," Theofan said. "I have to do a lot of work on it."
He added that he is "striving" to deliver the zero-percent budget increase the coalition council promised the voters after the 2003 election and again last spring.
Last year's budget delivered no net gain in taxes, but that was contingent on the sale of the Waldbaum's plaza, which sits on property the city owns. The Democratic minority on the council blocked the sale, saying that balancing a budget based on one-shot revenues was reckless. And while last year's budget did not increase property taxes, it raised fees for several city services, such as garbage collection and most permit fees.
"This couldn't come at a worse time," said Democratic Councilman Denis Kelly. "We presently have a very weak budget we may not be able to finish the year off with, and now we have to frame a budget for the next fiscal year for a vote by the end of May."
"Although I am disappointed that Ms. Schildkraut has decided to enter the private sector at this point in the city's budget process, I am 100 percent confident that Mr. Theofan, Sandra Clarson and the support staff of our comptroller's office will continue to develop a responsible budget that meets our administration's goals," said Jim Hennessy in a statement.
Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
But the city has announced that Carolyn Cairns Olson has been appointed the city's corporation counsel, replacing Theofan and acting Corporation Counsel Corey Klein. A Malverne resident, Olson has been a bureau chief and deputy Nassau County attorney since October 2002. She worked in the Long Beach corporation counsel's office from September 1978 to December 1985.
Meanwhile, Schildkraut confirmed Monday that she had accepted a position in the private sector, but would not say where. She added that the position had been offered to her, and that she had not been looking to leave. "It's been an honor" serving the city, Schildkraut said.
In other personnel news, Joseph Marron was dismissed by the city manager from his position in the civil service office last week. A political appointee who was a holdover from the Spiritis administration, Marron had replaced Nassau County Democratic Committee member Lee Biddison after the coalition council was elected in 2003. He also held the titles of city treasurer and municipal personnel technician.
The treasurer's job carries a nice title, but over the years its responsibilities have been marginalized, Theofan said. "I was reading the charter, and the treasurer actually does have things he's supposed to do, but no treasurer ever did," he said.
Theofan said he is actively interviewing candidates for all three jobs, but added that he is keeping his options open.
The city's public relations apparatus has had something of a revolving door since the 2003 election. Spiritis brought in Hirschfeld and Michael Abrahams, who had worked for Spiritis in Hempstead Village, replacing Kerry Ann Ryan Troy but keeping Matthew Dwyer as the city's public information officer, a separate job that operates out of the city manager's office. Dwyer was later dismissed, and Abrahams, who was brought on as a de facto assistant city manager, was eventually let go as well.
The city also has the option of retaining an outside public relations firm rather than filling Hirschfeld's $47,062 job and the vacant public information officer job - which has a similar salary - and saving itself the expense of paying an additional city employee, with benefits and pension costs.
The Long Beach City School District, for instance, each year pays about $25,000 into a fund with neighboring school districts to retain Syntax Communications, a West Sayville-based public relations firm, to handle the schools' basic PR needs. A PR executive, Terry Gilberti, is assigned to the Long Beach district and handles everything from photographs of students receiving awards to helping the superintendent of schools spin last week's incident in which a teacher was arrested.
On the other hand, there is some pressure on the city to maintain a local face in the PR position, which not only deals with the media on a day-to-day basis but also works with local charitable and civic organizations.
In making these moves, Theofan has the support of the coalition members of the City Council. "We hired him to streamline the organization of city government," said City Council President Jim Hennessy. "And that's what he's doing."
But Theofan has been left somewhat in the lurch by Schildkraut's announcement, since he is required to present his draft 2005-06 budget to the City Council on April 10.
Is it mostly completed? "In form yes; in substance, no," Theofan said. "I have to do a lot of work on it."
He added that he is "striving" to deliver the zero-percent budget increase the coalition council promised the voters after the 2003 election and again last spring.
Last year's budget delivered no net gain in taxes, but that was contingent on the sale of the Waldbaum's plaza, which sits on property the city owns. The Democratic minority on the council blocked the sale, saying that balancing a budget based on one-shot revenues was reckless. And while last year's budget did not increase property taxes, it raised fees for several city services, such as garbage collection and most permit fees.
"This couldn't come at a worse time," said Democratic Councilman Denis Kelly. "We presently have a very weak budget we may not be able to finish the year off with, and now we have to frame a budget for the next fiscal year for a vote by the end of May."
"Although I am disappointed that Ms. Schildkraut has decided to enter the private sector at this point in the city's budget process, I am 100 percent confident that Mr. Theofan, Sandra Clarson and the support staff of our comptroller's office will continue to develop a responsible budget that meets our administration's goals," said Jim Hennessy in a statement.
Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
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