JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council will be meeting tonight for its monthly voting session and while it has a light and routine agenda for tonight, lawmakers will also be acting on a key appointment in mayor Sam Teresi’s administration. The council will be voting on the appointment of Vince DeJoy as the city’s new director of development. DeJoy – who is currently a member of the city council – is replacing former development director Steve Centi, who in January unexpectedly announced he was retiring.
Earlier this month, Teresi announced DeJoy as his selection to replacement for Centi. DeJoy’s appointment as secretary of the Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency has already been approved by JURA board members.
Although it is expected that the city council will move forward with approving DeJoy – who would have to resign as a councilman once he assumes the roles as city development director – some council members have voiced their concern with the selection process, including Senior ranking councilman Tony Dolce (R-Ward II).
“I was a little surprised at first. I know that some of us would have liked to have seen a wider search,” Dolce recently explained to WRFA following a recent council work session. “I’ve always felt that the mayor – it’s his choice, it’s his administration and these are the people that he has to work with and if that’s who he feels is the best person for the job, then certainly we respect that decision…. I know that some of the other council people were wondering had there been a big enough search. We’re all just trying to get our arms around the idea of how that came down. Certainly it raised some eyebrows, but again, as I said, that’s the mayor’s choice.”
Dolce adds that he would be interested in knowing who the other candidates for the position where. Earlier this month, mayor Teresi stated that he had several names he was considering before finally going with DeJoy – although he did not give any specific names.
While some in the community may question the Mayor’s choice, others have bought up the legality of a sitting city councilman being appointed to an administrative position before their term on the council ends. WRFA has learned there is a law on the books in New York State that does not allow certain elected officials to take an executive appointed position. An insider tells WRFA the city attorney has been looking into this and it appears the law does not apply to DeJoy’s appointment. In addition, someone would have to come forward to legally challenge the appointment in order for it be ruled on by the court.
DeJoy will need five votes tonight from the council in order for his appointment to be finalized. Tonight’s meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
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