NIAGARA COUNTY: Residents nominated to hiring panel

By Joyce Miles<br><a href="mailto:joyce.miles@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Joyce</a>

The county Legislature likely will approve nominees to a county manager hiring committee next week, Chairman Bill Ross said Tuesday.

The hiring committee is being impaneled to run the search for county manager candidates. Current County Manager Greg Lewis has said he does not want reappointment; his term ends Nov. 30.

The majority and minority party caucuses each nominated three legislators and one county resident to serve. The residents, who will serve in an advisory capacity only, are Deanna Alterio Brennan, president of the Niagara USA Chamber, nominated by the majority caucus; and David Reilly, a professor of political science at Niagara University, nominated by the minority caucus.

Ross recommended Brennan, one of seven county residents who asked him about a seat on the committee, on the strength of her business advocacy background. She also was the first resident to inquire about the spot, he said.

“The heartbeat of the county is business ... and she’s representing hundreds of businesses (in her Chamber work),” Ross said. “That perspective should be very helpful as we’re leading the search for a new county manager.”

Minority Leader Dennis Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls, said he did not receive any resident inquiries about hiring committee membership. He solicited the name of a political science professor from Niagara University President Joseph Levesque after seeing the contributions a professor made to the committee that found Lewis.

“Sean Kelly (the political science professor who served the last time) was very helpful: He was apolitical, neutral; he advised us well on the kinds of questions to ask and things to look for. I thought having that again would be a good idea,” Virtuoso said.

The hiring committee nominees are to be confirmed by a vote of the full Legislature next week, Ross said.

Legislators nominated to serve on the hiring committee are: Clyde Burmaster, R-Ransomville; William Keith McNall, R-Lockport; Gerald K. Farnham, R-Pendleton; and Virtuoso and fellow Niagara Falls Democrats Renae Kimble and Jason J. Cafarella.

Once the committee is confirmed and begins meeting, one of its first acts will be to decide the scope of the county manager search.

Lewis came to the county from a national search, which Ross said would likely yield more candidates, but there’s some been talk by legislators of limiting the search to New York state this time. The thought is that the best candidates will be well versed in New York state laws, issues and practices, “so there’s not as much of a learning curve,” he said.

The county manager oversees day-to-day administration of county government in 14 departments, from budget and human resources to public works, economic development and social services.

The hiring committee’s job will be to narrow the list of applicants to five top candidates. The Legislature’s administration committee will recommend one for approval by the full Legislature.

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