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Clarkstown Downsizing Continues Into New Year With Deputy Attorney Position Eliminated

Cuts position of Marsha Coopersmith, former Independence Party leader

 

The Clarkstown Town Board approved the elimination of one deputy town attorney position that is expected to save at least $75,000 by using an outside law firm and saving on salary and benefit costs.  The position held by Marsha Coopersmith was cut as part of the town’s ongoing efforts to reduce expenses. 

“It was just a decision by the board that we could go to outside counsel to do tax certs,” said Town Supervisor Alex Gromack on Thursday.  “We anticipate we can save $75,000 to $80,000 by going outside.  It was done as a way to save money.”

Coopersmith’s responsibilities in the town attorney’s office mainly focused on handling tax certiorari matters.  The elimination of the position is effective Dec. 31, 2011. 

of Pearl River was the former chairwoman of the Independence Party in Rockland County.  She lost that position to in 2010.  Ortutay was indicted on perjury charges in June of this year.

Bard of Bardonia December 30, 2011 at 12:42 pm
Gromack does not eliminate the Clerk of the Works position held by Ed Lettre.  He is mentioned as being a patronage employee according to a lawsuit filed against the Town of Clarkstown (Index No. SU-2011-2758).   Lettre is paid over $167,000 at our expense, exceeding that of the Town Supervisor!   
Nor does Gromack eliminate the job of Joel Epstein who I note from a previous Patch article sent an email to a resident of Nanuet saying that the pit bulls which dragged a child on one occasion, and required a shot to be fired by a police officer to prevent a later attack on a jogger,  "did not hurt anyone and were not vicious".  http://pearlriver.patch.com/articles/nyc-cop-fires-warning-shot-to-end-dog-attack-in-nanuet http://nanuet.patch.com/articles/commenting-on-articles
Mike Hirsch December 30, 2011 at 09:27 pm
There was no longer any need to pay Coopersmith once she lost control of the Independence Party, but thank you Alex just the same. Now if we could only find a way to make Lettre politically irrelevant, we could stop paying him just like we did his co-chair Mary Loeffler.
Lance Dugby January 7, 2012 at 09:11 pm
Now we know what happened here. Gromack replaced her with a political plum contract to his pal Jay Savino, a close friend to another Westchester attorney recently indicted for fraud who shares offices with Savino.
Lance Dugby January 10, 2012 at 12:34 am
Epsteins Words and actions are irresponsible and particularly reprehensible given his job as an enforcement agent for Clarkstown. He is supposed to protect taxpayers, not ignore and make light of terrible events. He was a former restaurant owner and did not have qualifications for this job. Now you know why.
Anthony Mele January 11, 2012 at 12:51 am
This headline is wrong. No one was eliminated. The postion was replaced at half price with one political chairman traded off for another. Also, has anyone done their homework before filing? There is a federal indictment for voter fraud connected to the string of players here.
Anthony Mele January 11, 2012 at 01:06 am
CORRECTED HEADLINE: Gromack replaces grossly overpaid with tax payer money, rockland independent party chairwoman, with the scandal ridden, bronx republican party chairman, who is the defense attorney for the new rockland independent party chairwoman, charged with 17 counts of felony voter fraud, who happens to be the mother in law of republican legislator sparaco, who endorsed democrat gromack, over the legitimate clarkstown republican challenger last election, slipping gromack the indepent party line. DISCLAIMER:
ANY SIMILITARITY TO POLITICAL GRAFT IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL AND NOT TO BE MISCONSTRUED AS ANYTHING LESS THAN FAIR AND ABOVE BOARD CONDUCT BY ANY PERSON, LIVING, DEAD OR PENDING INCARCERATION.
Lance Dugby January 11, 2012 at 02:52 am
Sparaco has lost my support and I hope the support of Clarkstown Taxpayers. He will lose e next election and go back to emptying bubble gum machines at car dealers on long island. Borelli is next.on very thin ice.
allan erps January 19, 2012 at 11:22 pm
It goes on and on. Please trim the Government! One Police force, etc. The inmates are running the asylum
allan erps January 19, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Oh and thanks for the 2% property tax cap which was 31.3% this year !! Are you kidding me!!!

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