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Tempest in Lackawanna
Mayor shouldn’t automatically get job as head of the city’s Housing Authority
News Editorial Board
Published:October 10, 2011, 12:00 AM
Tone-deaf politicians are always with us, but the Lackawanna mayor’s recent interest in being appointed executive director of the Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority raises that to a new level.
Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr.’s term ends in December and he has said he’d like the $82,000-a-year Housing Authority job, which would be a huge increase from his $56,106 salary as mayor. And because Polanski appointed five of the seven members of the authority’s board of commissioners, he may get it.
Before he can be appointed, however, the board needs a waiver from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The commissioners voted 4-1 to seek that waiver.
HUD’s ethics policy prohibits housing authorities from hiring public and elected officials who exercise functions or responsibilities with respect to the Housing Authority during the tenure of the official or for up to one year after the tenure is completed. A HUD waiver would allow the board to consider hiring Polanski as soon as his term ends in December.
Polanski would be following in the footsteps of previous mayors—Thomas E. Radich and Kathleeen M. Staniszewski —who have been appointed to head the Housing Authority.
George W. Halsey III, a former First Ward councilman, says its just politics as usual, telling Polanski: “You appointed everybody; now they’re going to appoint you executive director.”
Polanski says he is well-qualified for the job, with his extensive background in dealing with maintenance crews and the budgetary issues as mayor. That may be true, but it misses the point. The Housing Authority should conduct a wide-ranging, transparent search for the best candidate. Without that, there will always be whispers of political maneuvering.
Polanski has made it clear that he can return to the Department of Corrections, where he is on leave from his plumbing job at Collins Correctional Facility. And he’s still considering a run for the Assembly, although the law doesn’t allow him to mount a campaign if he’s in the Housing Authority post.
We hope he chooses one of his other options.
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Thanks Buffalo News! You get it along with thousands of us who stand AGAINST greed and nepotism! Enough is enough and the people want this to STOP!
TAKE-TAKE-TAKE, what has he or any of them really given back to OUR City or Schools?
How about the Martin Road Housing Development Sub-division where $$millions of hidden tax money is tied up in EMPTY LOTS for 4 longgggg years now??!!?? Qualified--HA!
How about the purchase of the land behind his house that the Council sold to him in 2006 but he did NOT close on for about 3 longggg years later! Yes, he knows Real Estate all right, I'll give him that............he is always down in the Assessor's Office seeing who can they squeeze out and belly-up to next!