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The village administrator will minimize the administrative details now handled by Mayor Steve Ecklond and the trustees. The administrator will also provide centralized direction and control for village employees.
Once hired, the village administrator will be tasked with minimizing the procedural work the board has to complete in an effort to let them be “visionaries” in the village.
“I’ve seen firsthand the extraordinary amount of time and work the mayor has put in, and we’re all spending an awful lot of time on matters that are not what we should be concentrating on,” Trustee Stephen Quigley said. “This will ease up that burden and allow Village Hall to operate more efficiently.”
The board noted that this position is fairly common in nearby municipalities, and that Tuckahoe is catching up with the hiring of a full time administrator to work out of Village Hall.
Trustee Steven Alfasi, the board’s newest member, said that this move was a long time coming, and praised Ecklond for the work he has put in daily since being elected mayor in 2011.
Four of the five trustees approved the appointment on May 12, with Deputy Mayor Tom Giordano abstaining because he wasn’t at the meeting.
“I’ve been amazed at how many issues the mayor actually takes care of on a daily basis; it’s a wonder he has time to run his own business,” he added. “Anyone would be surprised if they saw how many issues come up in a week or a month.”
Although he was initially opposed to hiring a village administrator, feeling it was an unnecessary expenditure, Trustee Greg Luisi came around after acknowledging that the appointment would free up the trustees for grander things, and ultimately lead to savings.
“We need someone in Village Hall to oversee the operation and to be able to work hand-in-hand with all the department heads and everything that goes on in the village day in and day out,” he said. “We’ll have someone (there) to represent (the board) and to address citizen concerns.”
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