Days before leaving office to become Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s storm recovery czar for Long Island, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman was appointed chairman of the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority by Cuomo on Wednesday.
Kaiman, 51, will replace Ronald Stack as chairman of NIFA, the state authority responsible for overseeing the county’s finances.
“It’s an exciting challenge. It’s important work and I’m eager to jump in and get the job done,” Kaiman said.
Kaiman was named two months ago as a special advisor for Cuomo’s Long Island Storm Recovery team, and will take the post on Monday.
Kaiman said he had been discussing how to solve problems in Nassau County with Cuomo over the past two years with the county’s finances among them.
“I’ve been engaged with the governor on a number of issues and this was one of those issues,” Kaiman said.
He said he was not concerned about being able to allot sufficient time to both positions.
“It’s a lot of work and I’m the kind of guy who puts in a lot of time. I’m going to do everything to engage both roles 100 percent,” Kaiman said.
But he said, “The storm recovery job is what I’ll be doing for a living.”
He has said he isn’t sure of what his new job as storm recovery czar will pay, but he said it will be more than his current salary of $133,690, and less than the salary of a district court judge. Kaiman withdrew from a run for district court judge shortly before being appointed as special advisor for storm recovery. The position of NIFA chairman is unpaid.
Cuomo also appointed Paul Annunziato and Lester Petracca to the seven-member Nassau County Interim Finance Authority board.
“Each of these individuals bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will benefit both state government and Nassau County,” Cuomo said in a statement.
NIFA, the state authority charged with overseeing Nassau’s finances and authorizing county borrowing, is engaged in both legal and political struggles with the county and public employees.
A 2011 wage freeze imposed by NIFA was overruled by a judge following a suit by the Nassau Police Benevolent Association. The freeze remains in effect, as the decision is considered in an appeals court.
NIFA and its director George Marlin have also sparred with County Executive Ed Mangano’s administration over handling of the county’s finances. Marlin has also called Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos’ claims of county surpluses misleading, charges that Maragos has rejected as politicized.
Ironically, Maragos waged a lengthy battle with Kaiman over the county comptroller’s right to audit the Town of North Hempstead’s finances.
The New York Court of Appeals on April 30 declined to hear the town’s second appeal of a court decision that authorized the comptroller’s office to audit the town’s Clinton G. Martin Park park district in north New Hyde Park. Maragos initiated the audit after questions were raised about the town’s handling of the park’s finances.
Annunziato is first vice president and financial advisor for Morgan Stanley. Petracca is president of Triangle Equities, a company that specializes in developing real estate through public-private partnerships in New York State.
Cuomo thanked Stack for his service to NIFA in the same press release the governor’s office issued about the NIFA appointments.
Kaiman’s appointment drew criticism in some quarters.
“Ronald Stack, a municipal finance expert, has been a brilliant and fair-minded NIFA Chairman. Although Stack’s NIFA term expired nine months ago, for Gov. Cuomo to replace him during Nassau’s critical budgetary process is sheer folly. This is a sad day for taxpayers,” Marlin said in a statement.
Nassau County Legislator Judi Jacobs (D-Woodbury), who was presiding officer of the legislature when NIFA was created, also expressed concern about the move.
“In my opinion, it is a travesty to lose not only Mr. Stack’s leadership on this board, but his institutional knowledge of the County and his expertise,” Jacobs said in a statement. “To replace him, while in the middle of debating the 2014 budget and other critical financial decisions which are looming, absolutely makes no sense. I certainly have the respect for Jon Kaiman’s leadership but NIFA needs the continuity and historical background which Mr. Stack offers, especially at this critical time.”
Asked if he had any reaction to the negative comments about his appointment, Kaiman said, “We’ll see in the next few weeks how I engage in this process and that will address people’s concerns.”
Stack issued a statement on Wednesday, saying, “I have had the privilege of serving on NIFA under four Governors for nearly 14 years, over 10 as Chairman. I informed Governor Cuomo early this year that I thought it appropriate that a successor be named. I have enjoyed working with my NIFA colleagues in helping Nassau County in moving towards fiscal stability and wish them well.”
Kaiman said he plans to submit a 2014 budget for the town in the morning on Sept. 23 as his last official act after 10 years as North Hempstead supervisor and then leave for his new storm recovery office in Manhattan in the afternoon.
He said staff members in the governor’s office and members of the storm recovery team Cuomo is assembling are still in the process of defining Kaiman’s duties.
Town Deputy Supervisor Chris Senior will assume the duties of acting supervisor after he leaves. Senior would be a non-voting board member, he said.
