Political Patronage - 1, Transparent Government - 0

At the Clarkstown Town Board meeting of July 24, 2012 Guy Gervasi made the following statement about the deliberations made in Executive Session on the retention of Bronx Republican Chairman, Jay Savino, to conduct the Town's tax certiorari business. 

"My name is Guy Gervasi and I am speaking as President of the Clarkstown Taxpayers. I would like to make one last comment on the Savino hiring.  

You may say that all of the questions have been answered on Savino's patronage hiring but I believe, and hopefully all the taxpayers believe, that you and the Town Board are just hiding from a bad decision that has blown up in your face. This appointment by the Town Board clearly shows that in Clarkstown. Since you refuse to  on the irresponsible hiring of Mr. Savino I would like to make the following statement for the record and for the press.

The questions by the Clarkstown Taxpayers have nothing to do about the choice of an outside tax cert lawyer to save the Town money. They also do not have anything to do with whether Mr. Savino is doing a good job or not. Our questions are about the process used to choose Mr. Savino and the continued use of patronage to fill jobs and contracts in Clarkstown.  As an aside, why do you think so many people voted against making the Highways Superintendent job an appointed position? The reason is, if you haven't figured it out yourselves, the fear that an appointed job could just be filled by the Town Board and Supervisor Gromack with another patronage job." 

Thank you.