As the town board voted unanimously to hire a new justice court director at Tuesday’s town board meeting, at least one Southold resident is demanding answers.
Jill Franke, who was unable to attend the meeting, sent an email to Supervisor Scott Russell and the board and asked that it be read into the record before the vote. In the message, she asked why the board had not considered current Justice Court Clerk Kendra Wadlington for the new post, which pays $80,000.
“I don’t think that the town board and town justices are being fair to Kendra,” Franke wrote. “She has worked in the court for 14 years and has requested to be promoted and not answered or promoted to take the justice test. How many people of color work for the town? I would be looking into an attorney if i were her. I don’t feel that this justice director is fair to the taxpayers, as well as her. That’s my opinion.”
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell responded by email to his thoughts on Franke’s questions. “I do not believe that Jill made the assertion that Kendra was passed over due to her color. Any employee who would like to apply for an open position or a promotion should convey that to his or her department head, who can present the request to the board. The employee needs to qualify under the criteria required for the position under Civil Service guidelines. I am unaware of any such request by this individual. We are proud of the diversity that the workforce of Southold Town represents.”
Franke had also said that she did not see Wadlington on the civil list of potential hires. “The person who was approved for the position tonight was not on the civil service list because she is currently employed and holds that title for the Village of Westhampton Beach,” Russell said. “Civil Service does not require a candidate to be on a list if that person is currently working in that title. This is a ‘lateral’ move from one municipality to another.”
On Tuesday, the board voted to appoint Leanne Reilly to the position of Justice Court Director for the Justice Court, effective January 5, 2015, at a rate of $80,000 per year.
At Tuesday’s work session, the board discussed Reilly. “She is very well-qualified,” said Town Councilman Bill Ruland. Reilly has been the justice court director in Westhampton Beach since May, 2010. “She has more than enough experience to know how justice courts works. We spoke with her about our expectation that the justice court is up and running efficiently, with every report filed, i’s dotted and t’s crossed.”
“She was impressive,” agreed Councilman Jim Dinizio.
Justice Louisa Evans added, “That is not to say that the court reports have not been timely.”
Ruland added that auditors have noted points that needed to be addressed. “And some of the financial reporting, especially, wasn’t timely,” he said.
Dinizio added that Reilly would teach the board how the court runs. “We should know that,” he said, adding that he’d like to have her meet with the board on a monthly basis.
Ruland said he concurred that the board should “sit down with her and set out our expectations.”
The board also hired two part-time court officers at Tuesday’s; George K. Gross, of Hampton Bays, a former New York City police officer, was hired part time at a rate of $29.22 per hour, not to exceed 17.5 hours per week, and Steven F. Ficner, of Mattituck, was hired as a part-time court officer at a rate of $29.22 per hour, not to exceed 17.5 hours per week.
At past work sessions, Franke has asked why the new justice court director position would be paid what she considers a hefty salary. “I also looked and I found the Riverhead justice court director is making $66,292.94, so that’s a big jump from $80,000,” she said at a past town board meeting. “The justice court director in the town of East Hampton is making $59,771. The Village of Westhampton, the court director is making $44,924.95 and the town of Southampton does not have a justice court director but they have senior justice court clerks, and they have cashiers, and their salaries are in the $40s and $50,000s. So $80,000 is an awful lot of money to start a position that my mother did for 52 years for less than $60,000.”
Wadlington said she had no comment at this time.
