Press Center

Party Lines Drawn, Public Info Office Moved

Suffolk Life
By: Barbara LaMonica
05/28/2008

In a 4-3 party line vote and under protest by the Brookhaven Town Democratic board members, the Brookhaven Town Board's Republican majority made some structural changes in town offices last week.

Republican council members Tim Mazzei, Kathy Walsh, Keith Romaine and Jane Bonner elected to move the Division of Economic Development from Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian Foley's office into the Department of Planning, Environment and Land Management. But the change that caused the most debate was when they elected to "formalize" the Office of Public Information, taking the function as it currently exists out of Foley's office and placing it as a division under the auspices of the town council.

These and other moves came after two nights of back-to-back contentious meetings. According to Brookhaven Town Attorney Karen Wilutis, the town council considered formalizing Public Information because the division was never formally entered into the town code.

During the public hearing on this matter, Coram resident Dean Murray supported the majority's move of the Office of Public Information, chastising Foley for spending nearly $500,000 on the public relations firm of Zimmerman/Edelson.

Public Information Officer Tom Burke was called on to state his duties, at which time he also attempted to explain why Foley entered into a contract with Z/E. Burke said the firm produced television and radio commercials and print ads for such projects as the Community Preservation Fund, which failed to garner the necessary support at the polls; a veterans job fair; and the new 451-TOWN telephone number that residents can call for town-related questions.

"The problem is, there is a massive amount of misinformation in the air," said Burke. Despite claiming he already works for all the town board members, when asked how he would respond to Public Information-related calls from all seven town board members, he stated "I would shudder at the thought of answering to seven bosses."

But Murray asserted the move for Foley to hire Z/E was a questionable one. "With a staff of several people and at a cost to taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars to operate the Public Information Office, it baffles me as to why Mr. Foley felt the need to spend nearly a half million dollars with an outside PR firm to do the very jobs that should have been done by the Public Information Office," Murray said, asking if the reason that Z/E was hired could have anything to do with campaign contributions. "[Robert] Zimmerman has been a regular on CNN, where he is described as a Democratic strategist and major political fundraiser ... now that is what I call a political power play. Unfortunately, Mr. Foley, you are playing politics with our money," Murray continued. He then asked the supervisor, "Exactly how much have your political buddies contributed to your campaign to keep the gravy train rolling?"

Zimmerman, who also is a National Democratic Committeeman, confirmed contributing to Foley's campaign. "I contribute to a great many causes and candidates, and have given to Brian Foley very proudly, and will continue to give, and that has no bearing on the work that my firm does with the town whatsoever," he said. "I am a very proud volunteer in the Democratic Party and in the Democratic National Committee," he continued, asking, "so should the fact that I am a Democratic activist and volunteer disqualify me from participating [in the bidding process]? Is the Republican majority going to prohibit Republicans from working for the town? So why should I be excluded?"

Foley reacted to Murray's comments, saying that while Murray had a right to express his views, his claims were "not accurate." During the hearing, the supervisor also accused Mazzei of incorrectly stating that he "doled out" the contract to Z/E, and that the councilman seconded a motion on a resolution dated June 5, 2007 to hire Z/E.

Mazzei countered Foley's assertion, stating that he voted to merely add Z/E to the town's consultant list. "Everybody voted to put Z/E on the list," Mazzei said. "The problem is that it doesn't look good when Brookhaven Town would spend $500,000 on a Democratic strategist who donates to your campaign. It sends the wrong message."

"My firm was hired after extensive bidding, the Republicans voted to hire my firm, they made payments, and they posed proudly in public information advertisements," Zimmerman replied in a recent interview, referring to the CPF publicity prior to the November vote.

The controversy continued at the hearing as Walsh and Mazzei expressed dissatisfaction with the content of some press releases coming out of Burke's office while Burke noted that moving Public Information from the supervisor's office into the town council office might be "duplicative" in its role and use of manpower. "This would add a layer or two or three of bureaucracy," Burke said.

Chris O'Connor, who works part-time in the Office of Public Information, said he feels "we did a very good job in promoting the town with a positive picture for the entire town council and supervisor ... To say [establishing Public Information in the town council office is] in the best interest of Brookhaven Town, I don't believe it and I don't buy it."

Brookhaven Town Conservative Party Chairman Rich Johannesen repeatedly reprimanded Foley during the hearing, telling the supervisor, "I was once one of your supporters because I had such great hope for you ... but you've become an embarrassment," to which Foley responded, "Any embarrassment is on your side of the table."

Democratic First District Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld recounted when he was the lone Democrat on the board during a former administration, saying that he "was not treated well by Public Information," but added that "to muzzle the supervisor and take away his responsibilities to interface with the media is wrong."

Mazzei maintained his position that Foley would continue to be the "day-to-day manager of the town," and putting Public Information under the purview of the town council is "not taking any powers away from the supervisor, but giving oversight to the entire seven-member town board."

Walsh pointed out that she was concerned that her staff, whom she hired to address constituent issues, has had to write press releases for her office because the current Public Information Office was portraying council members in a "negative light." Walsh believes the move "is progressive and moving in the right direction."

Bonner concurred, saying that this would mean "seven voices would be heard, and information would be disseminated in an accurate, bipartisan way."

Resident Betty Manzella told Foley that she did not see how "any fair-minded person would question putting Public Information under the oversight of the entire town board. Public Information is the pipeline of information to the media and the public, and for this to be under one person, Mr. Supervisor, you are not the town editor."

In formalizing the Office of Public Information, changes in personnel and in the structure of the office may be forthcoming at a future town board meeting, according to the town council's chief legislative aide, Frank Tassone.