Legislator Bruso and Assembly woman Wallace can you stop protecting the political ap?

PDF: Full report censuring Erie County Water Authority

By Sandra Tan | Published June 12, 2018 | Updated June 12, 2018


The state agency that oversees public authorities formally censured the Erie County Water Authority and asked the County Legislature to remove from office all commissioners associated with repeatedly breaking laws and best practices regarding openness, transparency and independent oversight and governance of the agency.

The damning report spends 20 pages outlining violations that transpired over the last three years and paints the commissioners as ill-informed, naively trusting of decisions made by authority staff, and hostile and willfully resistant to public requests for information.

Read it for yourself:

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legislator Bruso can you stop 🛑 grandstanding over your banning of Conversion Therapy and do something about the Erie County Water Authority? I have enclosed the state report and it is very ugly. Assembly woman Wallace how about those ethics you ran on ????

FYI, here is the link to the Buffalo News article and a PDF of the ABO's report:

http://buffalonews.com/2018/06/12/pd...ter-authority/

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legislator Bruso can you stop �� grandstanding over your banning of Conversion Therapy and do something about the Erie County Water Authority? I have enclosed the state report and it is very ugly. Assembly woman Wallace how about those ethics you ran on ????

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You mean do something that actually effects the residents in a positive way?


State agency censures Water Authority, seeks removal of commissioner

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The state agency that oversees public authorities censured the Erie County Water Authority and asked the county Legislature to remove from office all commissioners associated with repeatedly breaking laws and best practices regarding openness, transparency and independent oversight and governance of the agency during a two-year period.

Two prior Republican commissioners who served during that time, Robert Anderson and Karl Simmeth Jr., have already left the three-member board, leaving only Democrat Jerome Schad, who serves as board chairman.

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http://buffalonews.com/2018/06/12/st...-commissioner/


Why can't the community hire qualified people to run the ECWA?

Use a head hunting agency to recommend qualified candidates? Not a recommendation from any social club.

Greg, why do you refuse to mention Senator Gallivan in your constant complaining? He represents us too and has by far done the least on the mess at the water authority.

That guy has been in public office for decades. No doubt he has benefitted from the cesspool over at the water authority. Wonder how many cousins he has stashed away over there??

I'm looking forward to you ignoring this post calling out Gallivan, by the way.

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Originally Posted by Innocence

That guy has been in public office for decades. No doubt he has benefitted from the cesspool over at the water authority. Wonder how many cousins he has stashed away over there??

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Do you think he really did? Or are you just assuming because it tends to be a common practice?

Innocence, John Bruso and Monica Wallace ran a political campaign on ETHICS ! Lots of mailers and lots of talk .
Gallivan did not run a campaign on ethics.
It is another example of politicians giving lip service and cheap print.
It is time for Legislator Bruso and A$$embly woman Wallace to do the right thing for Lancaster taxpayers. Even if it effects the Erie County Democrat Chairman Zellners political patronage appointees.
Both political parties are guilty of taking advantage of taxpayers,however it is time for our Lancaster resident politicians to raise the bar and end this practice for the sake of all taxpayers. It is time for Bruso and Wallace to be brave and have courage. Do you agree innocence? Or should they get a pass?

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Originally Posted by mark blazejewski

FYI, here is the link to the Buffalo News article and a PDF of the ABO's report:

http://buffalonews.com/2018/06/12/pd...ter-authority/

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here's the press release -

https://www.abo.ny.gov/pressreleases...20-%20ECWA.pdf

A link to the report for those who don't subscribe to the Buffalo News-
https://www.abo.ny.gov/reports/compl...l%20Report.pdf

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Originally Posted by gorja

here's the press release -

https://www.abo.ny.gov/pressreleases...20-%20ECWA.pdf

A link to the report for those who don't subscribe to the Buffalo News-
https://www.abo.ny.gov/reports/compl...l%20Report.pdf

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Thanx for sharing Ms. Gorja.

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Originally Posted by Innocence

Greg, why do you refuse to mention Senator Gallivan in your constant complaining? He represents us too and has by far done the least on the mess at the water authority.

That guy has been in public office for decades. No doubt he has benefitted from the cesspool over at the water authority. Wonder how many cousins he has stashed away over there??

I'm looking forward to you ignoring this post calling out Gallivan, by the way.

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Innocence, I truly recognize the validity of your observations. IMHO, no political party has an exclusive claim to virtue on the patronage abuse synonymous with the Water Authority. I sincerely believe that all of our local elected officials need to speak out against these transgressions promptly. Such public presentations would not be a divine mark of political courage, but a reflection of soulful conscience.

I do not presume to speak for Mr. Sojka, but, if I understand his comments correctly, he is pointing out that Ms. Wallace and Mr. Bruso sought office on platforms which had as their primary plank(s), ethics reform and ethical governance. As such, both should be held to a much higher standard of leadership on this issue.

If my understanding of the Sojka post is correct, I agree with him.

I further believe that the unspecified Assembly, Senate, and Erie County Legislature members, Democrat, Republican, Conservative, and Independent, who pursue a public posture of undesirable timidity, should suffer the consequences of venial political weakness, not the ramifications of the mortal sin of opportunistic political hypocrisy.

Senator Gallivan definitely has been in office too long. He is a prime example of a career politician. I lost respect for him a long time ago.

This issue with the Authority is a darn shame. Assembly Wallace & Legislature Bruzo actually should address this as it is a local issue, Policy change is a legislative responsibility. And they did run on Ethics.

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Originally Posted by Innocence

Greg, why do you refuse to mention Senator Gallivan in your constant complaining? He represents us too and has by far done the least on the mess at the water authority.

That guy has been in public office for decades. No doubt he has benefitted from the cesspool over at the water authority. Wonder how many cousins he has stashed away over there??

I'm looking forward to you ignoring this post calling out Gallivan, by the way.

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Ethics in the corrupt, dysfunctional, inept state of New York is an oxymoron. Morality, honesty and credibility on any level in the political world are undermined by personal agenda goals and party allegiances.

The Democratic and Republican Party elite pontificate on their values, castigate each other for moral bankruptcy while in reality they both suck at the game and in the long run work together to get the violators of ethical bad behavior off the hook – and the band plays on.

The stench (the result of both major parties practicing patronage politics and not hiring qualified individuals) was so bad at the ECWA that even the state had to step in to say ‘enough is enough!

Candidates seeking election in all levels of government pay lip-service to ethics and government change and then take a position that is sure to piss someone off.

Look to Albany and New York City for bona fide examples of ethics; profound morality, an exceptional value system, free from the stench of corruption, etc. (Sarcasm!!!)

In reality, with few exceptions they all suck, making the decision to vote for the lesser of two evils all the more difficult. Unfortunately, for party affiliated diehards there is no reason to discern most qualified candidates as they are in lockstep with their party's endorsed candidate regardless of qualifications or potential consequences. John is a good Republican because regardless of circumstance he wants all illegal immigrants deported. Suzi is a good Democrat because she believes illegal immigrants should have the same rights as citizens. What a F'D up world we live in.

Earl Jann fired as executive director of Erie County Water Authority

By Sandra Tan | Published 11:45 a.m. June 14, 2018 | Updated 4 minutes ago


The Erie County Water Authority board voted Thursday to fire its executive director, Earl L. Jann Jr., after determining the terms of his employment contract are invalid.

When asked whether Jann was fired because the new board disapproved of his leadership, commissioners said they would not discuss Jann's job performance.

"It doesn't matter whether we like someone or don't like someone," said Commissioner Mark Carney. "If a contract is void, we have an obligation under the law to void that contract."

Commissioners said they have been advised that in most cases an executive director cannot be granted an employment contract that extends beyond one year because past boards cannot bind the hands of future boards when it comes to matters of governance, and the commissioners serve staggered terms. They also said many past contracts given to prior executive directors should not have been approved.

Jann was not the only administrator to have his contract voided Thursday, but he was the only administrator fired. The board also voided the contract for Deputy Director Robert Lichtenthal, though Chairman Jerome Schad said the board would reconvene next week to consider giving him a new – presumably shorter – contract.

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It appears Lichtenthal is being considered as the authority's next executive director. Lichtenthal, a veteran administrator, has worked for the authority since 1996.

"He's been a stabilizing force and very helpful to us," Schad said. "We are well served by his services."

Jann, who was appointed to the top administrative post in May 2017, has been the target of public scrutiny and criticism, with county legislators contending the major Republican donor and former board chairman didn't meet job description qualifications.

That criticism intensified after the Republican-controlled board granted him a three-year employment contract in January, when Jann's job seemed in jeopardy due to a Democratic takeover of the County Legislature. That contract seemingly made him too expensive to fire.

But commissioners determined the contract extended to Jann violated the term-limit rulings, and they nullified contract language entitling him to the full payout of his three-year contract.

The board's decision comes two days after the public release of a scathing report by the state's Authorities Budget Office. The agency outlined a lengthy list of violations regarding governance and transparency at the organization. Schad and Carney have had a draft copy of that report for weeks.

The report calls for all board commissioners who served in 2016 and 2017 to be fired by the County Legislature. Schad is the only remaining commissioner from that time period.

Jann served as board chairman for much of the time period studied by the state oversight agency. He did not return a call Wednesday seeking his response to the report even though the commissioners gave him permission to talk with The News. A call to Jann on Thursday about his termination was also not returned.

A former Marilla town supervisor, Jann has supported the Republican party with nearly $17,000 in contributions and was slated to earn $149,000 this year.

Authority leaders said Jann is entitled to severance under the authority's existing policy for all employees but they would not say what that amount is. The severance policy allows for three weeks of severance for every year of "continuous service" for anyone with five to nine years with the authority. Jann was paid as an authority commissioner for 5 ½ years before serving as an executive director for one year.



His appointment to the executive director's position drew criticism from the beginning.

He was appointed in May of last year after a last-minute change to the agenda that hid his board appointment. A public relations spokesman said he had no knowledge of the appointment beforehand.

Jann received no employment contract or golden parachute protections from the previous Republican majority on the authority board until early this year, after Democrats took over the Legislature. A Democratic majority in the Legislature meant a changeover in the authority board's political leadership and threatened Jann's job security.

Jann was hired despite job description language that says the Water Authority's executive director should have "10 years of increasingly responsible and successful executive experience in the administration of a large-scale municipal or private water-distribution system."

The description included language, which enabled Jann's hiring, stating that qualifications could include "any equivalent combination of experience and training sufficient to indicate ability to do the work."



Jann previously defended his hiring, citing a number of managerial improvements, changes and upgrades that he has overseen at the authority.

Rarely have Water Authority directors been engineers, Jann said. In fact, the title used to be "administrative director" – which would be more apt today because the organization employs people with professional credentials for engineering decisions, financial management and legal concerns, he said.

"The position of executive director does not require an engineering degree," Jann said. "But it does require some common sense, and it does require the ability to manage people. And I believe my resume demonstrates that I have that ability."

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Originally Posted by Greg Sojka

Earl Jann fired as executive director of Erie County Water Authority

By Sandra Tan | Published 11:45 a.m. June 14, 2018 | Updated 4 minutes ago


The Erie County Water Authority board voted Thursday to fire its executive director, Earl L. Jann Jr., after determining the terms of his employment contract are invalid.

When asked whether Jann was fired because the new board disapproved of his leadership, commissioners said they would not discuss Jann's job performance.

"It doesn't matter whether we like someone or don't like someone," said Commissioner Mark Carney. "If a contract is void, we have an obligation under the law to void that contract."

Commissioners said they have been advised that in most cases an executive director cannot be granted an employment contract that extends beyond one year because past boards cannot bind the hands of future boards when it comes to matters of governance, and the commissioners serve staggered terms. They also said many past contracts given to prior executive directors should not have been approved.

Jann was not the only administrator to have his contract voided Thursday, but he was the only administrator fired. The board also voided the contract for Deputy Director Robert Lichtenthal, though Chairman Jerome Schad said the board would reconvene next week to consider giving him a new – presumably shorter – contract.

ADVERTISEMENT


It appears Lichtenthal is being considered as the authority's next executive director. Lichtenthal, a veteran administrator, has worked for the authority since 1996.

"He's been a stabilizing force and very helpful to us," Schad said. "We are well served by his services."

Jann, who was appointed to the top administrative post in May 2017, has been the target of public scrutiny and criticism, with county legislators contending the major Republican donor and former board chairman didn't meet job description qualifications.

That criticism intensified after the Republican-controlled board granted him a three-year employment contract in January, when Jann's job seemed in jeopardy due to a Democratic takeover of the County Legislature. That contract seemingly made him too expensive to fire.

But commissioners determined the contract extended to Jann violated the term-limit rulings, and they nullified contract language entitling him to the full payout of his three-year contract.

The board's decision comes two days after the public release of a scathing report by the state's Authorities Budget Office. The agency outlined a lengthy list of violations regarding governance and transparency at the organization. Schad and Carney have had a draft copy of that report for weeks.

The report calls for all board commissioners who served in 2016 and 2017 to be fired by the County Legislature. Schad is the only remaining commissioner from that time period.

Jann served as board chairman for much of the time period studied by the state oversight agency. He did not return a call Wednesday seeking his response to the report even though the commissioners gave him permission to talk with The News. A call to Jann on Thursday about his termination was also not returned.

A former Marilla town supervisor, Jann has supported the Republican party with nearly $17,000 in contributions and was slated to earn $149,000 this year.

Authority leaders said Jann is entitled to severance under the authority's existing policy for all employees but they would not say what that amount is. The severance policy allows for three weeks of severance for every year of "continuous service" for anyone with five to nine years with the authority. Jann was paid as an authority commissioner for 5 ½ years before serving as an executive director for one year.



His appointment to the executive director's position drew criticism from the beginning.

He was appointed in May of last year after a last-minute change to the agenda that hid his board appointment. A public relations spokesman said he had no knowledge of the appointment beforehand.

Jann received no employment contract or golden parachute protections from the previous Republican majority on the authority board until early this year, after Democrats took over the Legislature. A Democratic majority in the Legislature meant a changeover in the authority board's political leadership and threatened Jann's job security.

Jann was hired despite job description language that says the Water Authority's executive director should have "10 years of increasingly responsible and successful executive experience in the administration of a large-scale municipal or private water-distribution system."

The description included language, which enabled Jann's hiring, stating that qualifications could include "any equivalent combination of experience and training sufficient to indicate ability to do the work."



Jann previously defended his hiring, citing a number of managerial improvements, changes and upgrades that he has overseen at the authority.

Rarely have Water Authority directors been engineers, Jann said. In fact, the title used to be "administrative director" – which would be more apt today because the organization employs people with professional credentials for engineering decisions, financial management and legal concerns, he said.

"The position of executive director does not require an engineering degree," Jann said. "But it does require some common sense, and it does require the ability to manage people. And I believe my resume demonstrates that I have that ability."

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As I understand the article, how disingenuous. A tangible "sanction" officially camouflaged as a technical, legal necessity, rooted in legalese, but not reflecting the true nature of the underlying problem. No admission, nothing to talk about, just move along.

The state house, the legislature, county hall, city hall, town, village and school boards, they all act the same way. That is what the problem with this corrupt cesspool.

when I first heard it on the radio today I thought they said Pearl Jam was fired

I have a great deal of respect for the quality of the reporting by Sandy Tan. In terms of integrity, fairness and balance she is light years ahead of the run of the mill crappola peddled by the News. I would like to ask her when the News intends to launch the same searching review of the qualifications to run a major urban transit system possessed by the proven sneak and liar, Sister Denise Roche. And what makes these idiots in county hall think they have the power to take over a public authority created under state law? Folks, you want all the debt added to the county’s current debt load? And wait until a scum sucker like Poloncarz gets control of the patronage. And you think you’ve seen corruption? Why do you think the Democrats in the county legislature are so eager to get control of it?