ROTTERDAM Typist likely to be hired, despite clerk’s protest BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Members of the Town Board are expected to hire a new typist for the clerk’s office today despite protests from Town Clerk Eunice Esposito, who wants to retain the assistant that has helped her since September. The Town Board will consider a resolution appointing Cindy Dumar of Rotterdam to the full-time position with full benefits at an annual salary of $31,415. If hired, she will replace Laura Lee Cagnina, who will finish out her tenure as a provisional part-time typist in the clerk’s office in June. Esposito, the town’s veteran clerk of 39 years, claims the all-Republican board is trying to force her from office by removing the assistant she originally wanted to hire for the position last year. She said the board lowered the pay of the deputy clerk’s position to $7,500 in last year’s budget, so that she can’t feasibly appoint her own assistant. “I am an elected official and I have the right to appoint my own assistant,” she said. Esposito excluded herself from the hiring process and has since contacted an attorney from the state Association of Towns to see if she has any recourse. She insists she doesn’t need a typist for her office as the town has prescribed. “I have no need for a typist in my office,” she said. “I need and assistant.” But Supervisor Steve Tommasone said the town can’t hire Cagnina —who never took the civil service exam — because it would be a violation of laws that compel towns to hire municipal workers on the basis of ability instead of political affiliation. He said Dumar is civil service-certified and will help modernize the clerk’s office. “That’s what we’re doing here,” he said. “There’s no other agenda for me other than to ensure we have someone who is capable of operating within the office of the Town Clerk.” Tommasone said the town kept the position part-time for nine months as a cost-saving measure. However, he said the town eventually needed to appoint a full-time worker. “We have to have someone there who’s going to be there longterm,” he said. Schenectady County Personnel Administrator Kathleen Heap said the town can’t hire any non-civil service employee full time because there are plenty of qualified candidates on the eligibility list. She said the only way Rotterdam could justify hiring Cagnina full time would be on a provisional basis if there were no willing candidates to fill the position or if the town decided to create a new position in the clerk’s office. “But that’s between [Esposito] and the town,” she said. “Our only concern is that they hire from the certified list.” Capital Region CSEA spokeswoman Therese Assalian also sided with hiring someone from the eligible civil service list. She said the town appears to be doing everything by the book. “They’re following the civil service guidelines,” she said. Meanwhile, Cagnina is facing the possibility of being unemployed for the second time in under a year. In July, she was laid off from her job at a title insurance company. ......>>>>>>.......http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01002
“I am an elected official and I have the right to appoint my own assistant,” she said. Esposito excluded herself from the hiring process and has since contacted an attorney from the state Association of Towns to see if she has any recourse. She insists she doesn’t need a typist for her office as the town has prescribed.
Are you kidding me here? Although I also question the motive AND a $31,000/yr job for the position, I find it hard to believe that eunice would go this far as to seek an attorney. And just for laughs and giggles, I would have hired a male for the position. Cause this ain't gonna be pretty!
An 'assistant' or a 'typist', eunice should be happy she has someone to help her out. Eunice can call the shots. I mean after all, she ISan elected official. IMHO
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
This is getting more and more absurd. I like Eunice but enough already. She has no right to hire anybody. It's really funny how these politicians have an exaggerated sense of self worth. If she was up to the job she wouldn't need no assistant. She needs to stop running and making a fool out of herself. Please stop talking to the newspapers.
Thankyou benny. someone who actually knows what their talking about. Eunice doesn't run the show. This isn't the 70's. We have civil service laws that need to be followed. All politics aside, laws are laws and the town is doing the right thing. shocker
Thankyou benny. someone who actually knows what their talking about. Eunice doesn't run the show. This isn't the 70's. We have civil service laws that need to be followed. All politics aside, laws are laws and the town is doing the right thing. shocker
Rotterdam hires full-time typist ROTTERDAM JUNCTION — Town Board members approved the hiring of a full-time typist to replace the part-time and provisional employee the elected clerk had wanted as her assistant. Short one member, the board approved the appointment of Cindy Dumar effective June 1. She will earn an annual salary of $31,415 with full employee benefits, according to the resolution passed by the board during their meeting in Rotterdam Junction Wednesday. Longtime Rotterdam Clerk Eunice Esposito had opposed the appointment because she wanted to retain Laura Lee Cagnina, a provisional assistant that has helped her in the office since September. However, Supervisor Steve Tommasone indicated the town couldn’t make Cagnina a full-time worker in the office because she hasn’t taken the civil service exam. During the meeting, two residents spoke in favor of retaining Cagnina until she could take the exam. The exam hasn’t been given in nearly a year due to the number of eligible candidate still waiting for job placement.
'Let the cat fights begin'!!! Thank God there isn't a job out there that I would want to stay and die for!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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This is getting more and more absurd. I like Eunice but enough already. She has no right to hire anybody. It's really funny how these politicians have an exaggerated sense of self worth. If she was up to the job she wouldn't need no assistant. She needs to stop running and making a fool out of herself. Please stop talking to the newspapers. 
