Politics on the Hudson

Reporter Aman Ali sends in this dispatch:

Gary Stracuzzi, Rye Town’s Democratic chair, called supervisor Joseph Carvin a “hypocrite” this week over the town’s use of no-bid hires. Stracuzzi has objected several times in past board meeetings to Carvin’s no-bid hiring of Ann Marie Berg, who was hired to investigate the previous administration’s contracting practices. Her report was released last week, and reported by The Journal News in Friday’s editions.

“The word hypocrite fits Mr. Carvin like a glove,” Stracuzzi said.

During his election campaign, Carvin blasted the previous administration’s practice of no-bid hires — criticism backed up in a 2007 audit from the state comptroller’s office and also in Berg’s new report.

He has said in the past Stracuzzi brings up a “very fair point,” but defended his decision by saying “In order to replace town officials, you have to replace them in a short window of time. While I would like to go through a lengthy process and interview other people, town law doesn’t permit us to do an extensive search.”