Winter weather has been kind to Riverhead Highway Superintendent George Woodson this year, but the storm clouds have gathered at Riverhead Town Hall for the highway crewman-turned-boss.
Woodson, who's complained of trouble getting purchase orders signed by the town supervisor and about general fund "chargebacks" that in 2012 will suck nearly $769,000 out of the highway fund, has recently been at odds with Supervisor Sean Walter over expenditures of funds within his highway department budget. State law gives the Town Board the authority to appropriate the highway superintendent's budget, but it also gives the highway superintendent, an elected official, control over how he spends the money. The town supervisor, however, is the town's chief fiscal officer and, as such, has ultimate control over the checkbook.
The disagreements have been public and sometimes border on the personal. On Jan. 26, the last time Woodson met with the board, he accused the supervisor of trying to "rape" his budget. Last week the supervisor said he was just trying to get Woodson "to do his job."
Since the Jan. 26 work session, when the highway superintendent and the supervisor got into a rather heated debate, Walter has criticized Woodson during three public, televised meetings — in Woodson's absence.
Walter complained about the length of time it took the highway chief to demolish the Weeping Willow Motel and a house on Kay Road in Calverton last year. Woodson had agreed to have his crews raze the structures to save the town money, on the condition that his department be compensated for the work. He says he's been having trouble getting paid.
"We could have gotten it done faster and cheaper if we went to an outside contractor," Walter said last week.
His comments offended the highway superintendent, who called them "disrespectful."
The supervisor also complained about drainage projects that haven't been completed, and Woodson's failure to provide the Town Board with a prioritized list of projects. Walter says he's been asking for the list for two years.
Not so, says Woodson. Walter started asking for a list last year. He says Walter wants to micromanage his department. "I have no obligation to tell them what my drainage project plans are. We've never done that," he said. Woodson says he couldn't do it even if he wanted to, because he's still waiting on numbers from the engineering department, which is short-handed and backlogged.
Walter opposed Woodson's request for a budget transfer — funded by some of the payment due for the demolition work — to purchase security cameras for the highway department facility on Osborn Avenue. The supervisor said he wouldn't support a $12,000 expenditure for cameras when there are drainage projects around town that need completion and have been put off because Woodson says he lacks funding to do the work.
"How do you spend $12,000 on cameras at the same time you're telling people you don't have money to fix drainage problems," Walter asked at last week's work session.
The supervisor questioned the need for the cameras and whether vandalism damage had even occurred. "If he's had damage to his vehicles and equipment, why didn't he file any reports with the police," Walter asked. "I checked and no reports were ever filed," he said.
Walter repeated his objections at Tuesday's regular meeting, before voting no on the budget transfer resolution. He was joined by Councilman George Gabrielsen, but the resolution passed, 3-2 — after a lot of back and forth about whether Woodson was handling his budget, and ultimately, management of his department, appropriately.
Walter also opposes Woodson's planned expenditure of $77,000 to erect a storage barn for equipment. That expenditure was also to be funded by money payable to the highway department for last year's demolition work.
"If he has $77,000 in his budget, the residents deserve to have their draingage problems fixed first," Walter said.
"He's an elected official. He controls his own budget," Councilman James Wooten said in support of Woodson's requests.
Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said the Town Board struck a deal with the highway chief to pay him for services rendered and should keep its word.
At today's work session, Gabrielsen said he was upset that Woodson was, he said, refusing to allow the town's buildings and grounds division to use excavating equipment owned by the highway department. It would cost the town $30,000 to rent the equipment, which Gabrielsen called silly.
Woodson acknowledged the refusal. He said buildings and grounds crews were not qualified on the machine.
"You bash me after I save you money. You don't want to pay me as agreed. Then you come to me and ask me for something?"
Councilman John Dunleavy, who participated in today's work session by telephone from Florida, said he doesn't think it does anybody any good for the highway superintendent to be at odds with the Town Board.
"We need to keep this cordial," Dunleavy said.
Wooten said he would meet with Woodson to discuss the issues and find some resolution.
Woodson doesn't hold out much hope of that.
"He's halting my progress at the highway department because of something he wants," Woodson said of the supervisor. "Once again he's micromanaging my department. I don't go down to Town Hall and tell any of them how to do their jobs," Woodson said.
"They're trying to blame me for problems that have existed for years, long before I took office," Woodson said of the drainage problems, which he said numbered about seven. "I chip away at it a little at a time and do the best I can with what I have to work with," he said.
The highway superintendent, one of two Democrats holding elective office in Riverhead Town government, believes Walter just wants to make him look bad.
"This is just politics at its worst," he said.
"He should wipe that thought from his mind. I am not in election mode with Gio," Walter responded, arguing that he is just trying to help the superintendent do his job more effectively. "I want him to be the best highway superintendent he can possibly be. I want him to shine among highway superintendents."
"He's sitting in Town Hall," Woodson said. "He doesn't know everything we go through or what we've accomplished.
"I don't let it bother me. I'm my own man. I know what I do and what my men do and I believe the people of this town know what the highway department has accomplished since I've been in office. My obligation is to the taxpayers."