CITY HALL
www.cityhallnews.com
AUG UST 2007
21
The City Clerk: Political Springboard or Patronage Pasture? BY JOSEPH MEYERS HE CITY CLERK IS GONE, AND
T
no one knows how or when he will be replaced, or even when the process will start. But that has not stopped the angling from beginning. Victor Robles left the job on July 31, after six years in the position. His unexpected retirement seems to have left the Council unprepared to search for his successor. “It caught us all by surprise, because he was such a fixture,” said Council Member Lewis Fidler (D-Brooklyn), referring to Robles’ departure. “I don’t think anyone was expecting Victor to leave.” Robles was elected City Clerk in October 2001, just months before term limits would have ended his 16-year
Clerk—an agency which oversees the Marriage License Bureau, maintains most official city papers and documents, registers lobbyists and files oaths of office for city officials, among other administrative responsibilities. His annual salary was $174,399 for 2007, more than $60,000 higher than current Council members and well over double current state legislator salaries. Clerks are elected by the City Council to five-year terms. Robles served for almost six years. He was not officially reappointed after his term ended last year, though he continued in the job. Fidler said the Council had expected to reappoint Robles. Because he left without much warning, the Council had not begun looking for replacements. “Apparently nothing’s in the works at the moment,” Fidler said. “It’s just not on the radar yet.”
Caucus, the Council speaker proposes a candidate to the Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Elections. The committee then holds a public hearing and vote. If the committee recommends that nominee, the entire Council votes on the appointment. First Deputy City Clerk Michael McSweeney will serve as acting city clerk until the Council chooses a replacement. McSweeney may also be among those considered for nomination. “I wouldn’t decline the position if I was offered it,” said McSweeney, who has been in his current post since 2004. He was previously the director of legislative and community affairs at LaGuardia Community College. McSweeney is a Queens resident. To some observers, this may undercut his chances of being appointed. As political consultant Joe Mercurio explained, the position has historically been controlled by county leaders. “It’s an old time patronage position,” he said. “It’s one of those plums they give out that doesn’t have a lot of function.” According to Fidler, some Brooklyn Council members feel that since Robles is from Brooklyn, his successor should be as well. “I think it’s just a matter of pride,” Fidler said, speaking for some in his delegation. One of their own, Bushwick’s Erik Martin Dilan, has been mentioned as a possible candidate. Dilan said Quinn has not yet spoken to him about the position. But he did not dismiss the speculation. “If she were to offer it, I would have to consider it at that time,” he said. Assembly Member Vito Lopez, the Brooklyn Democratic leader, did not return calls for comment. But Bronx Democrats are also angling for the job, including the county leader himself, Assembly member José Rivera. “I just hope that the members appoint the best qualified person,” Rivera said. When asked if he thinks he is the bestqualified person, Rivera said, “Yes.”
When asked if he thinks he is the best-qualified person to become city clerk, Assembly Member José Rivera said, “Yes.” career as a Brooklyn Council Member. Robles’ duties in this post consisted of serving as Clerk of the Council and commissioner of the Office of the City
The source of some confusion among many people involved, the appointment process for a new clerk has several steps. In consultation with the Democratic
I Remember Rudy When... Memories of the GOP presidential front-runner before he went national
D
uring Rudy Giuliani’s tenure as mayor of New York City, before 9/11, the city government took on an increasingly authoritarian and repressive tone. Its ethos was antithetical to its rich tradition of vigorous and robust expression of controversial and unpopular ideas. It was a time in which yellow cabs were refused a permit for a procession across the 59th Street Bridge to protest changes to rules governing cabbies; child welfare employees and NYPD members who wished to speak to the press about non-confidential matters were required to notify the government and obtain its consent; and HIV/AIDS peer educators in the South Bronx were prevented from promoting safe sex by distributing condoms. New York Magazine was refused a permit to advertise its magazine on city buses with an ad that satirized the Mayor; the Brooklyn Museum’s funding was withheld because of the exhibit “Sensation”; organizers of the Million Youth March were denied permits for their 1998 and 1999 rallies in Harlem; the Latino Officers Association was denied recognition by the NYPD and the right to march in the Puerto Rican Day Parade in uniform. In these controversies and others, the federal and state courts stepped in to protect the rights of these New Yorkers. The case that symbolizes the Giuliani Administration legacy in the area of First Amendment rights was the battle to re-open the steps of City Hall. The steps are the quintessential space for First Amendment activity. Yet the Giuliani Administration consistently denied or limited New Yorkers’ right to hold press conferences on the steps. Again, it took a Federal Court Judge to restore New Yorkers’ First Amendment rights. We should remember who Rudy is and what his record is—especially pre 9/11. We owe it to ourselves and to our country. —Norman Siegel Norman Siegel is a civil rights lawyer and was the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union from 1985–2000.
ANDREW SCHWARTZ
Robles’ successor expected to effectively be picked by county leaders
City Clerk Victor Robles presided over his last City Council meeting July 25. His unexpected departure has left the Council trying to figure out a search for a successor. The post has been the gateway to higher office in the past: David Dinkins had the job from 1975-1985. He was elected Manhattan borough president in 1985. Then, in 1989, he was elected mayor. “The City Clerk job gave me a continued involvement in government and visibility, and it seems to have worked, as I became mayor,” Dinkins said. Dinkins insisted that though he did not take the job with the intention of running for higher office, he still received plenty of public exposure by being in City Hall daily and also officiating at the marriages of potential voters. But Democratic consultant Jerry Skurnik downplayed the job’s political potential, saying Dinkins’ career path was the exception to the rule. “It’s more like the last job you have in city politics or government, not a stepping stone to something higher up,” Skurnik said, “It’s not really high profile.”
C
jmeyers@manhattanmedia.com Direct letters to the editor to cityhall@manhattanmedia.com.
Visit our redesigned website for: More ACCESS
More NEWS
More www.cityhallnews.com