White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Alexis Express Leaves Station. Mayor Nominates Greer's Daughter as WPCNR Reports

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER NEWS & COMMENTARY. By John F. Bailey July 11, 2006. UPDATED JULY 12, 2006 1:30 A.M. E.D.T. UPDATED July 12, 4:30 P.M. E.D.T.: As reported by WPCNR one week ago, the Mayor's Office announced yesterday that Mayor Joseph Delfino has nominated Alexis Greer, the daughter of the late Councilman Robert Greer to serve through December 31 in her father's vacant seat. According to Paul Wood, City Executive Officer, Ms. Greer will be nominated at the July 20 work session and up for comfirmation for the seat at the August 7 Common Council meeting. In a late development in this unsettled situation, Councilman Benjamin Boykin advised WPCNR Wednesday afternoon he would be supporting Dennis Power for the interim appointment over Ms. Greer, leaving Councilwoman Rita Malmud with Power's short-term council fate in her hands, assuming Mr. Hockley, Mayor Delfino and Mr. Bernstein will support Ms Greer, while Councilman Tom Roach has already declared his preference for Mr. Power for the interim appointment. Boykin said the council had not opted for Mr. Power initially out of respect for Mr. Greer. WPCNR has also learned that the Republican Party of White Plains offered the seat to former Councilman Larry Delgado, but Mr. Delgado declined it, and upon Mr. Delgado's demurrence, decided to support Ms. Greer out of "respect" for her father. According to the City of White Plains Charter, "No person shall be elected to a city office in said city unless at the time of his or her election he or she is a resident elector of said city and shall have resided in the city for a least two years prior to his or her election. Whenever any elective officer shall cease to be a resident of said city his or her office shall thereby become vacant." (Ms. Greer has not been a resident of the city for two years.) However since, Ms. Greer is "an appointment" it is not addressed in the Charter as to whether "appointees" fall under the same qualifications.

Keith Eddings, Journal News reporter, wrote in The Journal News that Councilpersons Rita Malmud and Arnold Bernstein would not decide whether to support Ms. Greer until the Democrats meet on the matter. Councilman Benjamin Boykin advised WPCNR Wednesday afternoon he would be supporting Dennis Power for the interim appointment over Ms. Greer, leaving Councilwoman Rita Malmud with Power's short-term council fate in her hands, assuming Mr. Hockley, Mayor Delfino and Mr. Bernstein will support Ms Greer. WPCNR notes the Democrats had they wished to nominate Dennis Power for the interim vacant seat termage now through December 31, they could have done so last week when they nominated Mr. Power last Monday to run in a Special Election for the balance of the one year term beginning in January, 2007. Had they decided to do so, they could have annointed Power July 5 of last week. It was noted at this time last week by WPCNR that the refusal to nominate Mr. Power immediately for the interim termage, was a slap in the face to Mr. Power by his fellow Democrats, and appeared most unusual if they were going to appoint him anyway. It appeared to make no sense not to make both transition moves simultaneously if they were going to do that. The reason given to WPCNR by Paul Schwarz, Mr. Power's former Campaign Manager, was that the Democrat City Committee did not move Power to the interium seat position was not doen out of respect for Mr. Greer.
Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Hockley have been feuding with Councilpersons Rita Malmud, Benjamin Boykin and Tom Roach ever since Bernstein was not nominated for Common Council President last January (Ms. Malmud arranged support to be nominated in his place). Though Mr. Bernstein denied vehemently to WPCNR Tuesday afternoon that he was feuding with Malmud and Roach, saying they have an amicable relationship. The most notable evidence of this feud was Mr. Hockley's shocking critique of Ms. Malmud's performance on the Common Council over her career done on television last Wednesday evening. It was one of the most bizarre events ever in the seven years WPCNR has been covering the Common Council. Mr. Bernstein did not make any overtures to defend Ms. Malmud's performance from Mr. Hockley's zingers. WPCNR would guess that Ms. Greer already has three votes (the Mayor, Mr. Bernstein, and Mr. Hockley). Mr. Boykin appears to be the swing vote who has to be won over, or for that matter, Ms. Malmud in a dramatic conciliatory gesture could cast the decider putting Ms. Greer in line for five months of a councilperson's salary, (approximately $14,500), plus benefits.


Create an account		The White Plains Daily Internet Newspaper...Founded 2000 A.D....


			Designed and hosted by WestchesterInternet.com