Noam Bramson Brings His Ted Lasso Theory of Government to New Rochelle

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Before we get into Noam Bramson’s Ted Lasso Theory of Government, where candidates for senior administrative positions need not know anything about the work the job entails, we want to point out to readers the Journal News published a very good article Friday by David Propper.

The article appeared under three different headlines but we want to address the third one on the list below.

New Rochelle mayor under ethics probe over development job bid

New Rochelle mayor probed in ethics complaint over bid for commissioner job

New Rochelle mayor Noam Bramson speaks about ethics complaint

The first two headlines, while accurate, do not fully articulate the target of the ethics complaint. It is not just Bramson that is the subject of an ethics probe, but four of the other six members of Council as well. The complaint is titled “Ethics Complaint – Mayor Noam Bramson, et al.”. The “et al.” refers to the four council members approached by Bramson about his idea to pressure City Manager Charles B. Strome to rescind the appointment of Kathleen Gill as Deputy City Manager: Martha Lopez-Hanratty, Yadira Ramos-Herbert, Sara Kaye and Elizabeth Fried.

Bramson’s Lawyer

The most important of the three headlines is the last headline, the original headline, as indicated by the URL for the story:

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2022/04/01/new-rochelle-mayor-noam-bramson-speaks-about-ethics-complaint/7241086001/

What might be called the curious incident of the lawyer in the night-time or the lawyer who did nothing, there are some dogs not barking here.

Why was Bramson speaking to Propper at all?

Bramson tells Propper,

He’s hired legal counsel “just out of prudence”

Regardless of Bramson’s rationale for lawyering up, lawyers will almost invariably tell their clients not to make any statements regarding their case to the press as their client’s statements will certainly be evaluated by investigators and prosecutors and could end up in front of a judge or jury or both.

What competent attorney advised Bramson, a client under active investigation, facing potential criminal charges, due to testify under oath today, that it was OK to give an interview to a reporter?

Prudence would dictate hiring a lawyer and not talking to the press.

Elizabeth Fried told Propper she declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation.

Albert Tarantino and Ivar Hyden both told Propper that Bramson never spoke to them about Gill, but otherwise declined to comment. Neither is expected to testify to the ethics board.

Sara Kaye and Martha Lopez-Hanratty did not respond to Propper for the story at all.

Kaye, who reportedly signed on to Bramson’s effort to force Kathleen Gill out as Deputy City Manager, is now represented by Barry Fertel.

Yadira Ramos-Herbert is the only member of council to address the allegations against Bramson as we will address below.

The Ted Lasso Theory of Government

Since the ethics complaint was filed, Bramson has repeatedly spoken with people expected to be called as witnesses before the ethics committee. Bramson has wanted to know what witnesses intended to tell the committee, in an apparent bid to get their stories aligned. This sounds more than a little like witness tampering.

Bramson told Propper he was “concerned about the timing of the appointment”.

His supposed concern was that the search for a new city manager was just about to get started and Gill’s appointment “might lock the new city manager into a leadership framework he or she doesn’t want”.

Strome disclosed his intention to announce his retirement to Council in February, and made his announcement to Council during an executive session on March 8. Bramson abruptly kicked Strome and Gill out of the meeting to hold a super-executive session — only members of Council could attend — during which Bramson proposed to move immediately to identify a candidate to replace Strome on January 1, 2023 and floated the idea that the next City manager need not have any experience in government and that a candidate from the non-profit sector would have the necessary management skills to run the City of New Rochelle in what can be called Bramson’s Ted Lasso Theory of Government.

In this case, Ted Lasso is a woman, played by former Bramson campaign manager and non-profit administrator, Alice H. Kesten. Like Lasso she has no experience but would rely on Coach Beard, played by Noam Bramson, who has at least read a few books on public policy. Yadira Ramos-Herbert, depending on how she testifies, is said to be in the running for the role of Coach Nate, the formerly meek now mean assistant coach-turned-traitor, as she takes steps to ready her own run for Mayor in 2022 (if Bramson is forces out this year) or in 2023 (as Bramson has let it be known he will not run again for Mayor and his current term ends on December 31, 2023).

Kesten retired in 2019 after a decade as Executive Director of Volunteer Service Bureau of Westchester, Inc. which operates under the name “Volunteer New York”.

In the organization’s 990 tax filing in 2019 for the 2018 tax year, Volunteer New York took in $1.25 mm in revenue, ran at an operating loss of $163,001 with net assets of $720,957. Volunteer Service Bureau of Westchester Inc. has 14 total employees. Kesten was paid $94,314 as Executive Director.

The City of New Rochelle government currently operates under a 2022 budget of $261.5 mm with about 600 employees. The City Manager, appointed by the Council, is the Chief Administrative Officer of the City with responsibility to supervise and coordinate the work of the departments, prepare and submit to Council an annual budget estimate, enforce city ordinances and state laws, and execute all contracts, leases and deeds authorized by Council.

At Bramson’s urging, the City has been extremely generous to Volunteer New York.

In the years from 2014 to 2019, Volunteer New York received $52,250 from the City of New Rochelle

After The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill signed by President Trump in 2020, which included $339.8 billion to state and local governments, that figure tripled in the years 2020 to 2022 to $154,644.

Over all, in the past decade, the City of New Rochelle had transferred $209,068 from New Rochelle taxpayers to the organization once run by Bramson’s campaign manager, the woman he now seeks to install as a puppet City Manager.

New Rochelle has operated under a Council/Manager form of government since 1932. The City Manager has the sole power to appoint and remove all heads of departments in the administrative services of the City.

A new City Manager could never be “locked” into a leadership framework he or she does not want because a Deputy City Manager serves at the pleasure of the City Manager and can be removed at any time for any reason or no reason.

Bramson is not concerned that a future City Manager would be handcuffed to a Deputy he or she does not want. He is concerned that Kathleen Gill will prove to be the best available candidate for City Manager, so Council will support the highly experienced Gill and reject the hopelessly inexperienced and unqualified Kesten, leaving Bramson without a path to a senior-level, $200,000+ administrative position in the City government.

Witness Tampering

Bramson told Propper he went informally to other council members to see if they shared similar concerns. Is there some formal way to do that?

Bramson told Propper he “ended up deciding not to bring anything up to Strome.”

Not quite.

Despite all his machinations, Bramson ended up with only Kaye and Ramos-Herbert on board with his coup plotting. By the time Strome got wind of Bramson’s implied threat to fire Strome if Strome did not rescind the Gill appointment, Strome knew Bramson had received hard “no’s” from Fried and Lopez-Hanratty and knew Hyden and Tarantino would be hard “no’s” so Bramson’s palace intrigue had failed.

Incredibly, Bramson blames Strome for having found him out, dismissing this allegation as based on “a series of misunderstandings”, claiming he and Strome are now in complete agreement on the matter (and how would Bramson know that unless he was witness tampering?). Strome says otherwise, questioning the accuracy of Bramson’s version of events.

“I set the record the straight and in so doing explained what our conversations had actually involved, so that’s the sequence of events here,” Bramson said. “And again Chuck and I agreed entirely on what transpired.”
Strome said he heard from an outside party about councilmembers wanting to see Gill’s appointment revoked and approached the mayor about it.
“The answer he gave me was satisfactory but I don’t know if it’s accurate or not,” Strome said. “I wasn’t on the phone calls so it’s hard for me to judge.”

Yadira Ramos-Herbert is the only target of the ethics investigation other than Bramson, who spoke to Propper. She denied speaking with Bramson about rescinding Gill’s appointment or firing Strome. She claimed Bramson asked her “what she thought of the appointment that was vacant the last several years”.

Why would Bramson ask Yadira Ramos-Herbert anything about the appointment, which Ramos-Herbert tells Propper was “solely up to Strome”?

Parroting Bramson’s supposed concern about the timing of the appointment, Ramos-Herbert said, “she was struck by the timing of the appointment.”

An investigator might want to know more about that statement: what was it about the timing of the appointment that “struck” Ramos-Herbert? How did it strike her? Why did it strike her a particular way? Did she coordinate that statement with Bramson? Has Bramson made similar inquiries about other appointments during her time in office?

Both Bramson and Ramos-Herbert seem oblivious to the fact they publicly admitted to the Journal News they were discussing Gill’s appointment after it was made, when they both acknowledge the decision is solely up to the City Manager, and the discussion was about why they believed the appointment was problematic. All of that falls within the four corners of the ethics complaint. Left out of the ethics complaint is their supposed concern for the greater good.

At the very least, this sounds a lot like Ramos-Herbert saying Bramson was taking soundings on her willingness to join his cabal, but Bramson did not specifically propose giving Strome an ultimatum on Gill.

Why would he be explicit? Crooked politicians, like members of the mafia, have a unique lexicon, they use to be understood by other crooked politicians.

Regardless, Ramos-Herbert is acknowledging she had conversations about the appointment of Kathleen Gill as Deputy City Manager. It will be up to the ethics committee to explore what was said or conveyed during those conversations and any similar conversations Bramson may have had with other members of Council.

A cynical person might think that Bramson is using Ramos-Herbert to signal to other members of Council, through the Journal News interview, how he wants them to testify — that he only asked them what they thought of the appointment and did not ask them about rescinding Gill’s appointment or firing Strome.

Witnesses are typically asked if they discussed their testimony beforehand with anyone other than their attorney. It will be interesting to see what the transcripts of sworn testimony have to say about that question.

Emails and Memos

Proper wrote:

Bramson said he and Strome discussed him potentially assuming the development commissioner role, but he’s “fully confident that all of the conversations involved were entirely ethical.
“These were good faith discussions with the city’s interest primary,” Bramson said.

Talk of the Sound asked Bramson about his interest in the Development Commissioner position on March 18 — the day after we reported on an internal memo from Strome to Council.

Here is that exchange:

Question:

From: Robert Cox <robertcox@talkofthesound.com>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 11:12 AM
To: Bramson, Noam <nbramson@newrochelleny.com>
Subject: Development Commissioner
I ran a story about the new Development Commissioner yesterday. I already had a FOIL in on the broader subject of various leadership changes and how things work (as much for my edification as my readers) which interested me with Chuck announcing his retirement and how that position gets filled.
As a follow-up to that story, I am hearing the word around town is that you applied for the Development Commissioner position.
Is that the case? What can you tell me?
Thanks,
Robert Cox
Publisher and Managing Editor
Talk of the Sound

Response:

From: “Bramson, Noam” <nbramson@newrochelleny.com>
Date: March 18, 2022, at 11:58:22 AM EDT
To: Robert Cox <robertcox@talkofthesound.com>
Subject: Development Commissioner
Hi Bob,
Chuck and I had informal conversations about the possibility — it’s intriguing in concept — but a shift like that is just unworkable on multiple levels, and I did not apply for the position. I am very enthusiastic about Adam’s selection; he will do a splendid job.
Noam

Whether they be “informal” or “good faith” or “entirely ethical” or whatever qualifier he cares to add, Bramson has repeatedly admitted to conversations with the City Manager about his desire to be appointed Development Commissioner.

In a March 17, 2022 internal memo Strome informed Council at 12:05 p.m. of something they did not know up until that moment: the City Manager had filled the position of Development Commissioner and Deputy City Manager. The email set Bramson on a mad scramble to keep his Ted Lasso theory in play.

Following the interviews, I have decided to appoint Adam Salgado as Commissioner of Development, effective March 21, 2022. One of the other finalists for the position was also a strong candidate with a very strong Planning background, and we are currently in discussions with her to take over as the Deputy.
I am going to change Kathleen’s title to Corporation Counsel/Deputy City Manager, also effective March 21, 2022.
Kathleen has been the Acting City Manager for many years now in the times when I am on vacation or otherwise unable to fulfill the requirements of the position.
I am also pleased to report that we are in the final stages of hiring a new Deputy Commissioner of Public Works and that for the first time in the City’s history we will have a woman serving in a management position in the Department of Public Works.
The City Charter places the sole responsibility of appointments such as this with the City Manager.

Propper wrote:

Strome, who is retiring at the end of the year, has the power to appoint anyone he wants to a department head role. Because of New Rochelle’s form of government, he doesn’t need the City’s Council’s approval.

Not quite.

For certain positions there are minimum requirements, so an accurate statement is the City Manager can “appoint anyone he wants to a department head role so long as the candidate meets requirements contained in the charter”, which for Development Commissioner refers to Article VII Section 76.00 of the New Rochelle City Charter.

reasonable knowledge of the generally accepted principles of community planning, traffic engineering and renewals and redevelopment projects and planning and administration.
not less than 10 years of progressively responsible technical and managerial experience in anyone or several of these areas.

Chicken v. Egg

Bramson said it was originally Strome who suggested to Bramson he take a serious look at holding the job when the first search for a new commissioner failed.

“I think over the course of these discussions I would say Chuck went from sort of encouraging to being skeptical, and I went from being skeptical to be encouraging,” said Bramson.
He said weeks and months at a time would pass between conversations about the job.
So by the end I was more intrigued by the concept, I think than Chuck,” Bramson said.
Strome confirmed he first brought the idea to Bramson more than a year ago, “and the memo speaks for itself after that.”

What Propper did not know or mention is that what Strome meant by “brought the idea to Bramson” is Strome made an off-handed, flippant remark after the first search for a new Development Commissioner failed, in the Spring of 2021 and like an earworm, the thought continuously occupied Bramson’s mind.

Bramson says “weeks and months at a time would pass between conversations (with Strome) about the job as if that is a small number of conversations over a one-year period.

When Strome says “the memo speaks for itself after that” what he means is, having told Bramson “no” on multiple occasions between the Spring and Fall of 2021, an exasperated Strome told Bramson to submit a resume to the executive search firm running the second search in October 2021 but Bramson refused. Despite this, Bramson continued to inquire about the availability of the position to the point that as Strome got closer to making a decision (to hire Adam Salgado as Development Commissioner) he felt the need to obtain a legal opinion, an ethics opinion, and consult 6 people and write a detailed memo explaining in no uncertain terms that he would never appoint Bramson as Development Commissioner.

The transcripts will be fascinating on this point of contention.

David Propper did a good job and better public service in getting Bramson (and Ramos-Herbert) on the record.

Over the past month, we sent a detailed set of questions to Bramson, all members of Council and Alice Kesten. None of them answered our questions.

Those questions follow here as sort of an Appendix.

Appendix

To: Mayor Bramson

I want you to be aware that I will publish today (Sunday) at about 8 pm a story which will say you have been pressuring the City Manager to appoint you as Commissioner of Economic Development in violation of the City Charter and GML 18, and that having failed in that given the announcement Thursday of the appointment Adam Salgado to the position of Commissioner of Economic Development, you have sought to pressure the City Manager to rescind the appointment of Kathleen Gill as Deputy City Manager in violation of the City Charter.

I will concurrently file an Ethics Complaint with the New Rochelle Board of Ethics.

I want to give you an opportunity to comment and, in particular, address the following:

I have received additional information, including a memorandum to you from the City Manager and an ICMA to the City Manager.

These documents raise a number of questions.

Were your “informal conversations” with the City Manager about his appointing you to the position of Commissioner of Economic Development violations of the New Rochelle City Charter, specifically Article VI Section 41 (appointments shall be made based on “executive and administrative ability and of the training and experience of such appointees in the work which they are to perform”) and Article VII Section 76.00 (the required qualifications for the Commissioner of Economic Development which include10 years of progressively responsible technical and managerial experience in any one or several areas — community planning, traffic engineering and renewals and redevelopment projects and planning and administration) and Article VI Section 43 (prohibition against members of Council from interfering in appointments or removals by the City Manager)?

Did you use your elected office in an attempt to enrich yourself by obtaining through coercion, actual or implied, a job with an annual salary exceeding $200,000, plus benefits, for which you are not qualified under the New Rochelle City Charter?

Are you aware that under the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) Code of Ethics, the appointment of an elected official (politician) by the City Manager, qualified or unqualified, would violate three tenets of the ICMA Code of Ethics and subject the City Manager to censure by the ICMA?

Are you aware that the New Rochelle Board of Ethics is created under Article 18 of the General Municipal Law of New York State, which has as one of its purposes to “protect innocent public officers from unwarranted assaults on their integrity”?

Did you subject a public officer to unwarranted assaults on their integrity, a possible violation of New York State law, in particular, Article 18 of the General Municipal Law?

Did you seek to organize members of Council to obtain the necessary votes to remove the City Manager with the intention of going to him, votes in hand, to get him to rescind his appointment of Kathleen Gill as Deputy City Manager — in apparent violation of Article VI Section 43?

Did you consider hiring Luiz Aragon as a consultant to the Development Office, should you be appointed Commissioner of Economic Development?

Do you intend to lead the job search for a new City Manager and, if so, would you accept appointment as Commissioner of Economic Development under the City Manager hired through that search process?

Sincerely,

Robert Cox

914-325-4616

TALK OF THE SOUND

Publisher and Managing Editor

Talk of the Sound

To: Martha Lopez-Hanratty. Albert Tarantino, Yadira Ramos-Herbert, Ivar Hyden, Sara Kaye, Elizabeth Fried.

I want you to be aware that I will publish today (Sunday) at about 8 pm a story which will say the Mayor Noam Bramson has been pressuring the City Manager to appoint him as Commissioner of Economic Development in violation of the City Charter and GML 18, and that having failed in that given the announcement Thursday of the appointment Adam Salgado to the position of Commissioner of Economic Development, has sought to pressure the City Manager to rescind the appointment of Kathleen Gill as Deputy City Manager in violation of the City Charter.

I will concurrently file an Ethics Complaint with the New Rochelle Board of Ethics.

I want to give you an opportunity to comment and, in particular, address the following:

Were you aware before the publication of our article that Mayor Bramson has, for about a year, sought to have the City Manager appoint him Commissioner of Economic Development?

Were you aware that Article VI Section 41 of the New Rochelle City Charter requires management appointments by the City Manager shall be made based on “executive and administrative ability and of the training and experience of such appointees in the work which they are to perform”?

Were you aware that Article VII Section 76.00 of the New Rochelle City Charter enumerates required qualifications for the Commissioner of Economic Development which includes 10 years of progressively responsible technical and managerial experience in any one or several areas (community planning, traffic engineering and renewals and redevelopment projects and planning and administration)?

Were you aware that Article VI Section 43 of the New Rochelle City Charter prohibits members of Council from interfering in appointments or removals by the City Manager?

Did Mayor Bramson seek to organize members of Council to obtain the necessary votes to remove the City Manager with the intention of going to him, votes in hand, to get him to rescind his appointment of Kathleen Gill as Deputy City Manager — in apparent violation of Article VI Section 43?

Did Mayor Bramson seek your support in his effort to get the City Manager to rescind his appointment of Kathleen Gill as Deputy City Manager?

Did you indicate to Mayor Bramson that you would support his effort to get the City Manager to rescind his appointment of Kathleen Gill as Deputy City Manager?