
Reader says Councilwoman Knudsen is entitled to exercise her own judgment
The decision to “recuse” by an elected official is one that is arrived at: 1) by that elected official (i.e., nobody gives an order that another must follow); 2) on a case-by-case basis (i.e., no categorical prohibitions to participation, or recusal “precedent” based on past practice (read: Killion); 3) as a result of a fact-based analysis (i.e.., the details matter and must be considered); 4) in accordance with a pre-determined standard (no making it up as we go along); 5) considering whether the appearance of a conflict would bring scandal even if no actual conflict exists or is likely to arise; but also 6) being careful not to recuse too readily (i.e., not necessarily at the drop of a hat, or in response to the first ‘hint’ of a conflict) lest the electorate be improperly and improvidently deprived of the thoughtful services of their chosen representative (i.e., this is no mere ‘employee’ of the Village).
Councilwoman Knudsen is entitled to exercise her own judgment on this issue, free from either unsolicited heavy-handed advice (pre-recusal) or uncivil and hypocritical scorn (after declining to recuse, if that’s what she decides) from any of her Village Council colleagues.
This was thrown at her between the meeting and the closed session with no time to think about it. Susan is a very correct and deliberative person (thank God for her). She decided to recuse rather than err. Immediately after the meeting Matt Rogers stated that she should never have missed that discussion. Moreover Matt said that no one should have such short notice to consider whether to recuse. When asked publicly who wanted her to stay out of that discussion, it turns out it was Roberta. Roberta is proving herself to be way too large and way too in charge. She is not our elected official and she does not have any right to keep an elected official out of a meeting. Roberta makes it abundantly clear by her body language and her facial expressions and her muttered comments during public meetings that she does not have any use for Susan. Just watch her during the meetings. Steam come out of her ears when Susan (or anyone) dares to question her superlative judgement.
Go Susan. We need more like you!
yes she will have the right , and the the cat is out of the bag, and the seed in planted.
That’s true. She is very expressive with her facial expressions. It’s not appropriate.
Matt Rogers, on the other hand, never reveals his feelings with facial expression.
Is it true we have a Village Manager taking it upon herself to strongly advise individual members of the Village Council to recuse themselves from particular discussions? If so, this fairly leaps out at residents concerned with good government and transparency as an egregious case of overstepping one’s proper role in village government. This is so particularly in this instance, in which the Village Manager was arguably already in the hot seat for failing to detect Rigdewood’s ongoing violations of applicable civil service hiring rules until advised of same by state authorities. Not only that, in her public commentary she revealed herself to be quite forgiving of her own misinterpretation or lack of understanding of such rules, claiming they were ‘complex’, or some such excuse. (But by comparison she finds rules relating to current or potential conflicts of interest to be simple enough, even a non-attorney can provide unsolicited advice to a current elected officeholder?) This last allegation (complexity of civil service hiring rules) may have merit, but it by no means excuses Village Management from the responsibility of independently detecting it’s own confusion in this regard, obtaining related legal advice as in the normal course and acting on such advice on a timely basis to revise it’s hiring practices as necessary to fully comply with currently existing rules and laws.
The Village Manager was probably told by by Mayor to tell Councilwoman Knudsen that she had to recuse herself. This way it didn’t look like it was him keeping her away from the meeting. Don’t be fooled the Village Manager does the Mayors bidding after all he was the one that hired her. She was Paul’s pick even before the started the interview process.
Good thinking, 12:30. Who knows at this point, but your supposition makes as much sense as anything else. It really does boggle the mind that the council-hired Village Manager would think to extend the municipal management function to include managing (or attempting to manipulate) the legislative and policy-related activities of members of the Village council constituting the two-person non-Amigo minority. Does this represent further politicization, meaning: forced deterioration of our non-partisan form of government? If so, it needs to be stopped in its tracks and reversed before it becomes ingrained and produces another 25 year period of non-compliance with a current law.
For that matter, the Village Manager’s face goes into all sorts of expressions and she mutters and comments when people come to the microphone, too. She often interrupts speakers. She regularly interrupts members of the Council who are speaking. More intimidation.
I’d like to play poker with her.