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Friday, February 15

Scirocco hires Scirocco

That was the headline in the print version of the story in Friday's Saratogian. It ran on the second page, but for whatever reason never made it online so I figured we could put it here (where I could have a little more control over the comments, too).

Here is the story:

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco has hired his son, Mark, as a city water meter reader. 

Mark Scirocco was third on the list of eligible candidates who took the civil service test for the position, which pays $15.71 an hour — $32,771 a year. 

Skip Scirocco said the position does not pay benefits because it is a temporary position at this point.
“He’s a very good worker and he’ll do a good job,” he said. 

The commissioner did not interview the top two candidates, a Saratoga Springs resident who scored 95 and a Ballston Spa resident who scored 90. Mark Scirocco’s score was 85. 

Commissioner Scirocco said he eliminated the second-highest scorer because he was not a city resident. He did not explain why he did not consider the highest-scoring candidate. Civil service law allows the employer to choose from among the top three candidates.

The position is considered a temporary, three-month position to fill in for a meter reader who is out on disability, but the possibility exists for longer employment. 

— By Barbara Lombardo and Lucian McCarty

Barb wrote most of it, but I did the reporting on it (I was in the middle of something else so she took it up). 

Anyway, the story actually came from Skip Scirocco who volunteered the information to me in a conversation about something totally unrelated saying: "I just want to come clean about this, since I'm sure you'll hear it somewhere else." 

Obviously in this city there is some precedent for this (Skip's predecessor, for example) and he followed all of the rules for this hire. Skip said he worked for the city before and that he's working out well. 

The guy who is out with a medical condition may not be back because it seems like it may be long-term, in which case this position will likely become permanent. 

Anyway, I'm sure there will be some comments, so let's keep them civil. I won't publish any personal attacks so don't bother.

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17 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

demroc surfaces...

February 15, 2013 at 12:05 PM 
Blogger Unknown said...

Who cares? I didn't even vote for him, but have no problem with this. Rank has some privledges. If this is all some people have to worry about, they are leading sad lives.

February 15, 2013 at 12:28 PM 
Blogger Unknown said...

Who cares? I didn't even vote for him, but have no problem with this. Rank has some privledges. If this is all some people have to worry about, they are leading sad lives.

February 15, 2013 at 12:28 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good job.....I would hire my son also. He is in the a position to hire who he wants, if you cant hire your own son, who works well and knows what you want from him, then I wouldnt want the job period. People who are against need to lighten up and give the kid a chance. Anyone in that spot would do the same..if not, I wouldnt want them in that position

February 15, 2013 at 1:40 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tip of the Iceberg

February 15, 2013 at 2:53 PM 
Anonymous georgieboy1967 said...

Keep it all in the family

February 15, 2013 at 3:38 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous 2. This is no surprise. The planning board chairman Cliff Van Wagner's son got a police job right after 7 officers where laid off a couple of years ago!!!

February 15, 2013 at 3:48 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

can we say Veitch, Mitchell, Arpei, Dejonska, Cogan, Murphy, Mullan, Ennis, Clark, Whipple, etc. etc. all families who have made careers getting relatives hired, over and over again, so let's not worry about one more.

February 15, 2013 at 9:18 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

FIRST question, what was the topic of discussion you were having w/Skippy that was totally unrelated? Could it have been the water issue?

SECOND question, why did Skippy feel it necessary to bring this "out into the open"? If he's finally decided to "be up front" with how he runs the DPW dept. why not ask him why he's willing to pay supervisory rate of pay to hand out tools at the garage? Ask him why CSEA has scheduled a Anti Union hearing against him & the city for sending the casino/park supervisor to the tool room because of a greivance filed? Ask him about finally agreeing he must bring the job of booking the casino reservations back to the dpw unit after well over 18 mon. of allowing it be done in the city hall union. If he's so willing of "coming clean" ask him to come clean for other issues he's created. How about being up-front with selling water to Wilton way before bringing it to council?

February 15, 2013 at 10:03 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Saratoga....the old buddy buddy system....everybody related to everybody...how do you choose a third rate score as an applicant.? This is why Saratoga is a third rate city.
If it wasn't for the horses..and all the phonies it attracts Saratoga would be Gloversvilke east!

February 16, 2013 at 6:34 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Skip has someone he can trust in the job. There are still many employees who back stab him whenever they can. He needs people he can trust. I hope the job turns into a full time position for his son, who is a nice guy. Keep up the good work skip.

February 16, 2013 at 6:39 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

andphydThis isn't the first. Cogan's son was hired last year and he wasn't even on the list. When you have a Council charging nepotism against another Authority in the City that that Council should set the example.This has happened from tiem to time in the city with mixed results but if you want to create a standard with some integrity it should stop. What happened to #1 and #2 on the list. What is the background of the individual and work histry. His first tour of duty in DPW did not work out well but maybe he has grown up and sure does need the position and benefits. Cliff Van Wagner sson got his position after the decision was made by DPS to again start hiring new officers to offset the hsortfall. It was almost two years later. That's a major difference than right after.That comment doesn't cut mustard and is not credible.

February 16, 2013 at 7:03 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is perfectly legitimate as long as all the citeria are met. It is far less an issue than the Editorial in the Saratogian that the SSFD had a net revenue on over $500,000. The labor costs for eight FF with benfits and pension costs plus payroll tax is around $600,000 not to mention inaurance costs, fuel, maintenance, OT, sick time etc. I'm not sure how Barbara bought this bill of goods. Always thought she was a little sharper. Maybe they used the balance of the Safer Grant to fudge the numbers but 2014 is at full cost. That doesn't even take into consideration the five FF that follow the ambulance to the scene. Are they free? The statement they were always were doing it is a misconception. They did it because they could not find a way to substantiate the fact we still had a fully paid Fire Dept. They state it is state law but why is the only city that does it.

February 17, 2013 at 3:14 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cliff's son was hired after the seven FF that we lost returned to duty. That statement is also not accurate. Does this newspaper check any facts before they allow loons to make false statements. That I guess would include the Editor.

February 17, 2013 at 3:16 AM 
Blogger Unknown said...

On Cliff Van Wagner's son's hire: he went through the process just like everyone else.

He WAS hired after police officers were laid off years prior, not immediately. The firefighters had nothing to do with it, 3:16 a.m.

That anonymous commenter was right about something, though, there was nothing inappropriate about it.

End of story.

February 18, 2013 at 11:17 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Young Scirocco was a very hard worker, he got laid off in 2009 along with every one else. Why would you say other wise? It is only a temporary jobat this point any way. I think that you get a repeat of Generations is that they are long time generations. If every one stayed in one place it would happen there too.

February 22, 2013 at 10:40 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This story about Skip's son being a temp hire is not relevant anymore. The person who was out sick has returned to work and Skip hired his son to a full time meter installer position. Where did the money come from? Check in with the Captain.

February 26, 2013 at 12:05 AM 

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