Why Can’t the NYC Board of Elections Find a New Executive Director?

Written by Laura Nahmias on . Posted in Blog, Campaigns/Elections, Daily.




It’s been more than a year and a half since the New York City Board of Elections voted to oust its executive director George Gonzalez, after the BOE came under fire for a mangled primary election in Sept. 2010. But the board has never replaced Gonzalez, and commissioners said they simply had not found a qualified replacement.
“We just haven’t had enough people apply for it,” said Commissioner Frederic Umane of the $173,000 a year position.
“We’ve only gotten a handful of applicants and noone except for Mr. Flacks has been qualified to serve,” he said, referring to Alan Flacks, a BOE gadfly.
“It’s sometimes hard to get the six votes that are necessary in order to do it but we have not had anybody who at least in my opinion has been qualified,” Umane said.
City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, who as chair of the governmental operations committee tries to ensure efficiency and accountability at agencies like the Board of Elections, said it was time for a new director.
 ”I believe the reason (there isn’t a new one yet) is more political,” she said. “There isnt a person who’s come forward who would get enough votes from the commissioners,” Brewer said.



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  • http://MichaelBenjamin2012.wordpress.com/ Michael A. Benjamin

    CM Brewer deserves a gold star for her honest answer. Umane’s response begs the question about the sort of lofty qualifications that only a political gadfly seemingly possesses and puts him head and shoulders above current applicants.

  • http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com VJ Machiavelli

    How about doing a NATIONAL SEARCH

    Before there was the “Oracle of Delphi” there was Count Vampire J. Machiavelli

    VJ Machiavelli
    Power to the People who “VOTE”

  • Fed up with cronies

    And why not Al Flacks? He certainly knows all the aspects. And he’d be impartial but wouldn’t put up with malfeasance or fraud or incompetence.

  • Nostradamus

    Flacks for Exec Dir!

  • sjmcm3

    I’ve known Mr. Flacks for over 40 years and know that he would be an honest broker to run the Board; however, until the hiring and firing of both the full-time and part-time(i.e., Election-Day) workers is also reformed, I doubt the serious problems at the Board will be solvable.