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Editorial - McCarthy Vote An Ethics Board Issue
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 at 11:19PM When elected officials appear to be acting inappropriately or unethically it is a citizens responsibility to try to seek a remedy. At the September 9, 2014 town board meeting Councilman/Deputy Supervisor Thomas McCarthy voted on a salary increase for the position of deputy supervisor. The very position he holds. The resolution, item 4.O, authorized an increase and set the salary for deputy supervisor at $35,000 per annum. The resolution was approved in a three-two vote with Councilmen Creighton and Wehrheim voting NO and Councilwoman Nowick, Supervisor Vecchio and Councilman/Deputy Supervisor McCarthy voting YES.
As it was a week ago it remains my opinion that Mr. McCarthy, as the sole beneficiary of the resolution, had an ethical and professional responsibility to abstain from voting. Over the past week I have sought professional opinions from a broad spectrum of knowledgeable people. It is my informed opinion that Mr. McCarthy violated Smithtown’s ethics code. For this reason I have submitted a letter to the Town’s ethics board requesting that they investigate this matter.
Pat
Reader Comments (2)
I also sent a letter requesting an ethics investigation.
This is one of the worst self-serving votes I have ever seen from a Town Board. With the budget process underway, this could have been incorporated into the proposals and let the public have input. But the way it was hidden in an omnibus resolution and with the deciding vote being cast by the person who benefitted from the resolution is just horrendous.
Just the kind of publicity Smithtown needs!
We're keeping up with the Joneses in Hempstead and Roosevelt.
Wonderful.
What McCarthy deserves is a smack in his smug puss, and a free ticket to Nassau County. Jeb (received in an email)