The nuts and bolts work on the City Council is conducted at the committee level. The respective committees vote on matters brought before the full council for final approval. The Budget and Appropriations Committee, for instance, reviews the spending plan proposed by the mayor and issues its own recommendations to the full council. Monday night the City Council approved the committee assignments proposed by council President Tom McCarthy. The committee assignments follow with the first two named council members serving as co-chairs.
COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS
Council members: Brannelly, Marella, Martinez, Vizzo-Paniccia, Swain, Austin, Taylor-Moye
COMMITTEE ON ORDINANCES
Council members: Paoletto, Martinez-Walker, Martinez, McBride-Lee, Torres, Dejesus, Vizzo-Paniccia
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION
Council members: Lyons, Feliciano, Banta, Salter, Castillo, Martinez-Walker, Paoletto
COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT
Council members: Martinez, Banta, McBride-Lee, Lyons, Dejesus, Martinez-Walker, Marella
COMMITTEE ON MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
Council members: Vizzo-Paniccia, Swain, Taylor-Moye, Brannelly, Feliciano, Halstead, Banta
COMMITTEE ON CONTRACTS
Council members: Austin, Dejesus, Brannelly, Salter, Holloway, Castillo, Paoletto
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES
Council members: Taylor-Moye, McBride-Lee, Holloway, Torres, Halstead, Marella, Feliciano
The criteria Tom “Conflict” McCarthy used to make these appointments were not clearly defined and transparent in advance. When Mayor Finch properly asked McCarthy to explain his criteria he said he made them based on seniority and the personal interests of the members rather than the backgrounds and relevant experience of the members and the importance of ensuring the effectiveness and credibility of the respective committees. Stated differently, they were based on political cronyism rather than professional competence. Just another example of why the Council has been ineffective and lacks credibility.
The First Rule we observe in assigning the 20 Council Members to the seven committees and liaison assignments is there is no rule!!!
Of the incoming eight all four females received assignments as Co-Chairs plus one male while the other three males were presented with the mere honor of two committee assignments. This provides most of last night’s ‘abstainers’ with plenty of opportunity to sit in on other Committees it seems to me. Learn the ropes, such as they are. Observe the too-frequent cancellation of meetings for want of a quorum or a Committee-raised issue sufficient to attract the necessary quorum. Time will tell.
*** God help us and them in the new year ahead! ***
Obvious conflict of interest with Mike Marella as co-chair of the budget committee and member of the community development committee. Nice guy, however Mike has two family members who are City employees and he is director of PAL which receives both general fund/BOE and CDBG funds from the City. But then again he can always recuse himself. Yeah right!
Second observation is every member of the budget committee is loyal to Finch. Same ole same ole.
Not true, Fixer. Tricia Swain was assigned to the Budget Committee. She is one of the September primary winners, from the 132nd who knocked out Brantley and Olson. She is a smart, experienced and confident business woman, and the words rubber stamp are not in her vocabulary.