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Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Young maestros take center stage at Greater Newburgh Symphony concert
Photos by Cathy Cahill
Thundershowers forced them to move from Downing Park to the shelter of Mount Saint Mary College’s Aquinas Hall on
Saturday, but the annual Pops concert of the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra went on as scheduled. It featured the
debut of Conductor Russell Ger (shown introducing Dvorak’s “Slavonic Dances”) and the young maestros who took turns
leading the orchestra.
No takers for City of Newburgh Police Chief position
Continued from page 1
whether they have an existing (eligible)
list,” said city Corporation Counsel
Michelle Kelson.
New York State civil service law
“does allow the municipal commission to
contact the county and request a county
list, if there is one,” Kelson explained to
commissioners last Wednesday.
“So, you’re saying a selection can be
made from a county list?” Best asked, and
Kelson replied yes.
However, after reading advice from
the state, Murphy noticed a potential
issue. “If the qualifications for the city
or town positions are greater than those
for the county position, the list should
be deemed not appropriate,” Murphy
said, reading from paperwork. “Reading
further, it says the list ‘should’ be deemed
not appropriate, it doesn’t say ‘must’”
“My observation was that the issue
we’re confronted with is comparing the
minimum qualifications,” Murphy noted.
The eligibility criteria for taking the
police chief exam was at the center of
the argument made by Cameron, City
Manager Michael Ciaravino and Mayor
Judy Kennedy when they challenged the
commission earlier this year.
As per the current city commission
rules, police chief candidates are required
to have at least five years of experience
as police lieutenant in order to take the
promotional test. Cameron has two.
Nearby cities like Middletown require
two years as police lieutenant in order to
take the exam.
Additionally, Cameron would have
been eligible to take the test if he had two
years’ experience as deputy police chief.
In a letter written to the commission in
January, the mayor highlighted the fact
there has been no deputy police position
Acting Police Chief Dan Cameron.
since city layoffs in 2010. “If the Civil
Service Commission of City of Newburgh
wants to be fair, then the current rules for
the promotional civil service exam must
be changed to reflect the situation as it
has been since 2010,” she wrote.
But, the commission refused.
Cameron refused to take the open exam
on principal. “I don’t think it’s fair,” said
Cameron in an interview with the Mid
Hudson Times in the spring.
Cameron was appointed acting city
police chief following Chief Michael
Ferrara’s retirement last year. Cameron
has also served as an officer, detective,
sergeant and lieutenant with the city
police department.
If the county has an existing candidate
list for the position, Kelson explained,
then the county needs to determine if
the list is appropriate to share with the
city civil service commission. “The state
does maintain oversight over the entire
process,” said Kelson.
“I’m making a motion that we request
the county civil service list for the position
of police chief,” Murphy finally said at
the meeting last week, and Best seconded.
Murphy was appointed chairman
of the City of Newburgh Civil Service
Commission following the resignation of
Richard Gadbois in June.