The West New York Board of Education will be voting on whether or not town Commissioner Gabriel Rodriguez will receive a $90,000 job within the school district at Wednesday’s meeting, sources told Hudson County View.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Back on July 31st, the West New York School District began advertising an account manager position that had not previously been available.
“Under the direction of the Superintendent of Schools and the Business Administrator, plans and directs various accounting activities and and reconciliations within the Business Department by performing accounting, payroll, banking, auditing, internal controls and financial management tasks,” the job description says.
According to a copy of the resolution obtained by Hudson County View, set to be voted on by the school board, Rodriguez, the town commissioner of the Department of Public Works, could potentially be hired at $90,000 a year – effective from October 1st through June 30th, 2018.
Rodriguez has served as a field director for U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8), his godfather, since 2009, where he earns an annual salary of $55,000, according to public records.
Additionally, Rodriguez’s parents have been working in the West New York School District for decades: his father, Israel, is the principal at Public School No. 4, while his mother, Silvia, is a guidance counselor at West New York Middle School.
Furthermore, Rodriguez was sworn in as a town commissioner, where the salary is about $15,000 a year, back in January 2015.
As we recently saw during a controversial vote on $1.5 million worth of shared services with the town, two members of the school board will not be eligible to vote on the new post.
Trustees Damarys Gonzalez and Jonathan Castaneda, who both work in the mayor’s office, will have to recuse themselves from the vote.
Rodriguez did not return calls seeking comment.
