More Patronage!!!!!

Matthews is doing a political favor for his secretary. In the past, it may have been accepted behavior, but the new climate of Jimbo giving away the courthouse to the dems, this has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. We need home rule and we need it quickly.

B.
Castor Objects to New Fleet Chief
By: MARGARET GIBBONS, Times Herald Staff
07/21/2008

COURTHOUSE - Montgomery County government has a new fleet chief despite objections by county Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. to the appointment.

The commissioners and controller voted 2-1, with one abstention, to tap Thomas Schneider, the husband of Montgomery County Commissioner Chairman James R. Matthews' administrative assistant, for the post of fleet manager.

Matthews abstained from voting while Castor cast the lone "no" vote. The position became vacant upon 13-year veteran Richard Flood taking advantage of the county's early retirement incentive program.

Schneider, who has been employed as a county deputy sheriff since 1999 and was earning $38,209 a year, will receive a salary boost to $46,267.

Castor explained that, while he knows and likes Schneider, he did not receive notice of the proposed hiring until one day before the vote and did not receive supportive materials that would justify the appointment.

"The thing that is troubling me here is that we are often concerned with allegations that we are engaged in cronyism and patronage," said Castor. "I am inclined to want to be supportive of this action but I don't want to be accused of engaging in cronyism or patronage. I want more information to satisfy me that this is the right move to make."

The fleet manager oversees the county's 300-plus vehicles and equipment such as landscape equipment, dump trucks, snow plows, backhoes and the like to ensure that they are in good working order.

The fleet manager also must maintain an annual budget that provides for renewals of vehicle registrations, tags, titles and shop materials and preparing specifications for the purchase of new vehicles and equipment.

Listed requirements for the job include a high school diploma or equivalent, licenses such as a state inspection license, technical automotive expertise and experience in fleet acquisition and management.

A high school graduate, Schneider said he had a comparable post while serving as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force where he had responsibility for eight planes during the Vietnam War.

After leaving the service, he created his own paperhanging and painting business. He also worked in private security and was a Lower Moreland constable from 1995 until 2004.
County Chief Operating Officer Robert W. Graf said Schneider was one of three county employees who made inquiries about the job, which was only advertised internally.
Only Schneider followed through, filing an application for the post, said Graf. In addition, on his own time and at his own expense, Schneider went to classes and obtained state inspection certification, according to Graf.

Because he prefers more applicants, Graf said that the qualifications were rewritten to allow a successful applicant six months to earn state inspection certification. Another person subsequently filed an application.

County purchasing Director F. Thomas Snyder, who now oversees fleet management, interviewed both candidates and recommended Schneider.

The Schneider situation is an example of one of the major concerns he has about the salary board, said Castor. The board simply receives a list from human resources the day before a meeting with names and recommended actions. Unless he personally knows the individual, there are no accompanying materials to give him a "comfort level" in signing off on the proposed actions, said Castor.

"I, in my eight years here, never felt compelled, with the competent and skilled leaders we have in our departments, to make inquiries and do not so now," said Matthews. "I am not going to be a part of micro-managing 3,400 employees. I will not be a part of compromising the confidence we have in our department heads."

Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel III noted that Castor did not ask any questions about the proposed Schneider appointment at the commissioners' work session. Like any other member of the salary board, he could have asked for information and would have been provided the materials from human resources.

As a result of concerns raised by Castor, the commissioners said the list of recommended salary board actions will be provided one day prior to their work session and all files and applications will be available at that time.

Margaret Gibbons can be reached at mgibbons@timesherald.com or 610-272-2501 ext. 216.