Details scarce on city attorney's pay, status By Lauren Stanforth Staff Writer Published: 12:00 a.m., Thursday, December 9, 2010
SCHENECTADY -- The city's top legal official has been receiving his $96,373-a-year salary for the past six months even though he has been absent from work, and a replacement has been hired to do his job.
Mayor Brian U. Stratton said Corporation Counsel L. John Van Norden is on leave, but refused to provide any details.
Questions about Van Norden's employment come in the wake of an uproar over Stratton's decision to quietly allow city Fire Chief Robert Farstad to rack up tens of thousands of dollars in overtime amid a budget crisis that resulted in layoffs of 14 firefighters.
Stratton appointed Van Norden deputy corporation counsel shortly after the mayor took office in 2004 and had worked in the city's law office from 1990 to 2001.
In 2008, Van Norden was promoted to the top job. In June, he said he was taking a few weeks off after a heart attack scare.
This week when asked about Van Norden's employment status, Stratton initially declined to discuss it, but when pressed said Van Norden had "accumulated leave."
On Wednesday, in response to specific questions e-mailed to the mayor and other city officials about the type of leave and Van Norden's relevant benefits, Stratton's director of operations, Sharon Jordan, said she could not comment on Van Norden's situation because it is a personnel matter.
Also Wednesday, Van Norden did not want to talk publicly beyond saying, "I was reappointed Jan. 1, 2010 to a two-year term, and I am in the midst of that two-year term and am ready and willing to discharge my obligations."
City Council President Gary McCarthy said he does not know the terms of Van Norden's employment, but he is concerned that council members have again been kept in the dark about unusual payments to a senior city official. On Monday, the council is expected to pass a resolution that would immediately end unwritten or implied contracts with employees.
"If someone is entitled to a benefit that's in the code or contractual obligation, City Council will appropriate the money to do that," McCarthy said. But he added, "terms that have been put in place by people who have exceeded their authority are going to be terminated on Monday.".............>>>>...............>>>>................http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Details-scarce-on-city-attorney-s-pay-status-869593.php
6 months leave with full pay?Nobody knows from nuthin, no wonder these DEM morons can't pay for fire fighters. Another disgrace uncovered in the Times Union.
I thought Della Sala was looking high and low for budget cuts? The same crap over and over. And no one gets hot under the collar on the rubber stamp Schenectady City Council nor the editorial boreds. If you can't do the job-RESIGN. Nobody can read a budget and nobody can balance a budget. No surprise since no one has any business expertise. The budget has $5 million deficit built in for next year. Another so Schenectady.
Working together works! And the useless City Council is shocked {SHOCKED!} about the latest taxpayer ripoff. 2 City attorneys but we are laying off fire fighters. Is this part of the Obama stimulus program?
The City Council, Deputy Mayor and Mayor SOS are all working together! Nobody can answer any questions and nobody has a valid explanation. Who's on first? Maybe they can cook up something for the TV news tonight. You can't this stuff up.
And yet rotterdam and the city continue to raise taxes.
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
OK, maybe he is out ill. And since taxpayers are paying for him, they do have a right to know. Of course not to know what kind of illness, but just the fact that he is alive but ill. However, if he is ill, why isn't he on disability? It said he is useing leave time? How the hell much leave time does he get? Full pay for, what, six months? Oh, I forgot, he is one of SOS's cronies, one of of DV's close buddies.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
SCHENECTADY City attorney may not resume duty Mayor cites ‘personnel issue’ with Van Norden BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
The city’s top attorney has recovered from his incipient heart attack and is ready to return to work — but City Hall isn’t welcoming him with open arms. Mayor Brian U. Stratton said he won’t let Corporation Counsel L. John Van Norden simply come back. “We are in discussions with him,” Stratton said. He declined to explain why. “I can’t discuss it. It’s a personnel issue,” Stratton said. “But we have been talking about his desire to come back.” That came as a surprise to City Council members, who said they want Van Norden to return as soon as possible. “If there are any concerns, I haven’t heard them,” said Councilwoman Margaret King. “I thought he did a very good job.” Councilman Thomas Della Sala added that he saw Van Norden two months ago and told him he was looking forward to the attorney’s return. “I thought he seemed well — very thin, but well,” Della Sala said. “I asked him, ‘Can we expect you back soon?’ And he said it’s up to his doctor.” But now, Van Norden said, he’s cleared to come back. “I’m fine,” he said from his lakeside cabin, where he was staying when he says he first felt heart attack symptoms in June. He was rushed to a local hospital and ordered to rest. Considering that his father had three heart attacks by age 50, the 48-year-old attorney took the scare seriously. For months, he said, he was eager to come back — but could not risk returning too soon. Now, he said, it’s time. “I’m ready and willing to discharge my obligations,” he said. He would not explain why he could not simply come back to work. But he’s not being paid his $96,445 salary while he’s gone. Instead, he’s burning through all of his accumulated personal days, vacation time and sick leave. He has saved up many days since 2004, particularly because he would come back from vacation early or cancel vacations on occasion to respond to legal emergencies in the city. He rarely took a sick day before this summer. The city did not immediately respond to a Freedom of Information request seeking the number of days he has remaining...............>>>>.................>>>>...............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00902&AppName=1
“I’m fine,” he said from his lakeside cabin, where he was staying when he says he first felt heart attack symptoms in June.
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
But he’s not being paid his $96,445 salary while he’s gone. Instead, he’s burning through all of his accumulated personal days, vacation time and sick leave. He has saved up many days since 2004, particularly because he would come back from vacation early or cancel vacations on occasion to respond to legal emergencies in the city. He rarely took a sick day before this summer.
Well yes he IS still being paid! I don't care if it is called personal/sick time or not! He is still being paid, with benefits, by the taxpayers, for sitting at his lakeside camp! FOR 6 MONTHS!
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
Attorney back on the job By Lauren Stanforth Staff Writer Published: 12:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 21, 2010
SCHENECTADY -- The city's top attorney was back on the job at Monday night's City Council committee meeting after being absent for six months and receiving his full salary.
L. John Van Norden had not been at work since June, saying at the time he was recovering from a heart scare. The city's corporation counsel had been receiving his $96,373-a-year salary while his replacement, attorney Al Goldberger, was also getting paid.
When the Times Union inquired two weeks ago about the mechanism under which Van Norden was getting his salary, Mayor Brian U. Stratton and members of his administration had refused to explain how, other than saying the attorney was on "accumulated leave."
Stratton expanded on that explanation Monday, saying that Van Norden was using accrued sick and vacation time. Van Norden added that there is a section of city code that lays out leave benefits for employees like himself, and that he was entitled to eight months worth of sick and vacation days going back to when he was first hired in 1990 -- despite an absence from the city's law office from 2001 to 2004.
Goldberger, a former corporation counsel himself who had been working in Van Norden's stead, briefly sat with Van Norden at the Council table during Monday night's meeting, but otherwise left city business to the returning attorney.
"My health issue has been resolved to the extent that it's resolvable," Van Norden said when asked about his return. "The city wanted to make sure my doctors were OK with it."
When asked by phone two weeks ago about his absence, Van Norden provided a statement that said he was "ready and willing to discharge my obligations."
The city has yet to answer a Times Union Freedom of Information request for Van Norden's attendance and payroll records and the non-unionized employee rules regarding sick days, vacation days or leaves of absence.
So the taxpayers are still paying two attorneys for the work of one? Great resolution! Another absolute disgrace that could only happen with these horrible City DEMS.
The concern is always about the patronage and never for the oppressed taxpayers. At the same time they are laying off low level clerks/secretaries they keep 2 attorneys and The Commiss at huge salaries. Then they wonder why the City budget doesn't balance.
How much ya wanna make a bet that when VanNorden ultimately does leave, either through a change in city leadership, a retirement, or whatever, he will get a hefty payout of "accumulated" sick leave.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
How much more accumulated leave can he have? Gone for months and nobody knows from nuthin. McCarthy is in the dark-as usual. The Mayor keeps contradicting himself. No matter who is the new Mayor is this circus has to end.
All we want is some truth. Another instance where the Times Union has caught the Mayor red handed in the taxpayer cookie jar. No wonder taxes keep going up, police and fire are cut and the budget cannot balance.
Logged
6 months leave with full pay?Nobody knows from nuthin, no wonder these DEM morons can't pay for fire fighters. Another disgrace uncovered in the Times Union.
Vacationing together works! Only in Schenectady County. And the best part nobody knows from nuthin. No shame in the DEM game.
