Two city department heads have resigned to take opportunities elsewhere, Mayor Nancy Cozean (D) announced last week. City of Poughkeepsie Finance Commissioner James Wojtowicz is trading City Hall for Town Hall, and Director of Development Edmond Murphy is going to work for a major nonprofit with which he has often collaborated. Both will be leaving effective Sept. 28.
Said Cozean: “Having worked closely with Jim and Ed, I am especially appreciative of their contributions to Poughkeepsie’s remarkable revitalization. I will miss them.”
“They’re both going to be missed,” said James Marquette, city administrator: “Ed was doing a lot of economic development, high visibility projects. His work ethic will certainly be missed. He’s done a good job for us.”
Wojtowicz’ work on the financial side was more behind-the-scenes, according to Marquette, who described him as “supportive and cooperative.”
Wojtowicz is returning to the Town of Poughkeepsie Comptroller’s position he left in 2000 to work for the city – he had previously been employed with the town for four years. He will be getting a $5,500 raise, but he said his decision was not mainly about the money. He was impressed by the enthusiasm with which he was offered the job: “They were so positive. They kind of knocked me off my feet,” he said of Supervisor Pat Myers (D) and the town hall staff. Also employed at Town Hall is Wojtowicz’ wife, director of planning Laura Wojtowicz.
While he would miss his colleagues, Wojtowicz said of leaving, “sometimes it’s the right thing to do.”
The resignations precede the upcoming election season. A Democratic primary to determine whether Cozean will obtain the designation or whether it will go to her challenger for the party line, Fred Knapp, a Dutchess County legislator, will be held on Sept. 18. The nominated Democrat will face Republican John Tkazyik, currently the 3rd Ward councilman, in the general election.
Both Wojtowicz and Murphy said elections were not a main impetus for their career moves.
“Elections are always uncertain times,” said Murphy, who pointed out, “I’ve been five-and-a-half years in this position.” Both Murphy and Wojtowicz joined City Hall under the previous mayor, Colette Lafuente (R) and were kept on by Cozean when she took the city’s helm in 2004. Murphy was hired in April 2002; Wojtowicz was hired in October 2000.
Upcoming elections “really didn’t factor into it,” Wojtowicz said of his decision. “Charlie (Emberger, the former town comptroller) went to Newburgh. That’s really what started the whole thing,” said Wojtowicz, who added he had a good relationship with Cozean and Marquette: “The mayor has always been good to me,” he said.
Development in progress
“There’s no great time to leave a position when there are projects in the works,” said Murphy, whose efforts have focused on revitalization of Main Street and the waterfront. “The city is on-track to continue its progress. I just think it is a good time to take advantage of another opportunity,” he said.
Murphy is going to work for the nonprofit provider of affordable homes, Hudson River Housing, as HRH’s new director of real estate development.
“I’ve worked with HRH for years in my present position,” said Murphy. “When the position became available, I spoke with (executive director) Gail Webster and we arrived at an arrangement that looks like it will be productive for both of us,” he said.
In his new role he will be seeking new projects for HRH, which develops and manages low-income and homeless housing in Dutchess County. “I didn’t want to pass up this opportunity. … I have the highest regard for HRH and Gail Webster,” Murphy said.
He hopes to tackle Main Street and town center projects, as well as mixed-use developments. “Workforce housing is a big topic, and green (eco-friendly) development is gaining popularity and importance,” said Murphy. Both are “part of the larger plan that I have in mind for Hudson River Housing,” he said.
Murphy said he had exceeded one of the goals he set for himself when he came to City Hall in 2002: the development of at least 300 new housing units along the Main Street corridor. On Main Street revitalization, “we still have a long way to go, but we’ve progressed,” he said.
“Saving the Luckey Platt building was probably the highlight of my career,” he said. When the city sold the historic former department store on Main Street to developer Alma Realty, the 19th century structure had teetered near the brink of collapse.
As head of the city’s finance department, Wojtowicz prepared budgets and oversaw city spending.
“Anything we bought or had to get bids on went through him,” said parks director Bobby Martin. A city employee for decades, Martin said he had worked with several finance directors, but Wojtowicz has been “really outstanding. His work was great, his attitude was great. … I’m really going to miss him,” said Martin.