WPCNR Westchester County Clarion-Ledger. Special to the CitizeNetReporter February 12, 2007 UPDATED 10:40 A.M. February 13, 2007, UPDATED 2:15 PM: As first reported by WPCNR last night,  County Executive Andy Spano has redefined White Plains Councilman Dennis Power's position in the county  government. Asked about Mr. Power's qualifications for his new global warming mission with the Department of Environmental Facilities in New Rochelle, Ms. Greene said, "The position requires someone with  managerial ability and the ability to work with the public. Dennis fits both of these needs."

Mr. Power, according to the Department of Communications Donna Greene this morning is going to be reporting to Tony Landi, Commissioner of the Departmenty of Environmental Facilities. Power is being reassigned to that Department in their New Rochelle offices, to fill the need for more manpower on the County Executive's Global Warming Task Force, according to Greene. Power is being reassigned to work specifically on preparation of the County Executive's Action Plan on Global Warming for the county.

Greene said the County has not yet decided on a successor in Mr. Power's position as Assistant to the County Executive for Economic Development.

She reports Mr. Power's shift of duty had nothing to do with the alleged conflict of interest charges, but rather stemmed from the County Executive's global warming task force need for more staffing to prepare a Global Warming Action Plan for the County. More staff has been requested by the Task Force Co-Chair Robert Funicello, she said. "The task force needs more staff and it seemed he's a good fit."

Brian Maloney  of the White Plains City Republican Committee, reported "the Power shift"  to WPCNR Monday evening that "(County Executive) Andy Spano has decided to transfer Mr. Power to a new staff position, that is being his representative on recycling matters and Westchester’s deep thinker on global warming issues."

Maloney of the White Plains Republican Party is claiming vindication and a victory of sorts for his position taken on Mr. Power's fitness for office during the recent Power-Cibelli campaign for the late Robert Greer's Council seat. Maloney charged  that Mr. Power's being appointed Assistant to the County Executive for Economic Development, (at a salary of approximately $76,000 a year) and being paid by the Westchester County IDA was a conflict of interest with his position as Common Councilman, and, Maloney alleged, a violation of the Hatch Act.

Maloney in a statement to the media said,  "The City's conflict of interest investigation, and both the Federal Hatch Act investigation and the New York State Comptroller's investigation was not going to end favorably for Power (both of which are still going strong.)"

 Maloney said in his statement that he had circulated to legal experts his proposed litigation papers that would petition the Westchester Supreme Court to force Power to resign from the either Common Council or his County  position. Maloney said former Attorney General Elito Spitzer's chief advisors also supported this litutation. Maloney takes full credit for the upcoming reassignment of  Mr. Power saying, " I am informed those papers were taken very seriiously by decision makers, and the "transfer" saved the county and the Common Council from serious embarrassment. "