By Matthew Monks
“The idea here is to move forward, the idea here is to straighten things out,” Marshall said, minutes before the board rejected a motion to include five final candidates for district manager rather than three. A small faction of board members, who staged a protest in February against the board's longstanding executive committee on charges that it ignores CB 4 bylaws, said they did not trust the district manager selection committee to winnow the field to a diverse mix. “What is the difference between us seeing three people and us seeing five people?” asked Gerald Rosero. “What's the difference? It's not an unreasonable request.”Robert Rodriguez, who made the motion, said five people to choose from would ensure that board members could select a candidate who best reflects a series of neighborhoods – Corona, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst – that has emerged as mostly Hispanic in recent years. Marshall said five candidates bogs down the selection process. The board agreed, shooting down the motion in a 36-6 vote. The vote was the latest clash in a power struggle that has emerged in the wake of the death of District Manager Rose Rothschild. Some new members have complained that elections had not been held in more than eight years, violating the board's bylaws and leaving the body's direction under the control of a small group of longtime members. During a five-minute speech, Marshall said holding new elections and reworking the board's bylaws is one of the many problems that must be rectified after the hiring of a new district manager. She said the board must also restructure its committees, hire its two part-time staff members full time and move its operations to a handicapped facility. Acting Board Chairman Louis Walker said the board's selection committee has met twice and received 23 resumes. It has reviewed eight. He said the committee will eventually choose three candidates to present before the whole board for interviews. He did not give a time-frame for the selection. Reach reporter Matthew Monks by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
