Dear Editor,
The chaos in the City of Newburgh continues, with this latest cyberattack demonstrating that this dysfunction will continue because of inept city leadership. So, while the city’s technical infrastructure was being breached in a massive cyberattack, where was our fearless City Manager Todd Venning?
Orlando. That’s right, he was schmoozing and glad-handing in the Sunshine State.
Todd was too busy to address the meltdown of Newburgh’s tech infrastructure because he was attending the 118th Annual Conference of the Government Finance Officers Association. Ironically, Todd was on this boondoggle to accept an award for his management of City Hall — an institution that is currently unable to perform basic municipal duties. The City of Newburgh paid for airfare, accommodations and expenses for multiple city staffers to attend the conference and receive a practically empty award, all for the self-preservation of the ego of our city manager.
So, let me get this straight: The city recently spent more than $37K to send executive staff and Council members to an off-site retreat — yet another boondoggle for which the public has yet to see any download or debrief. We have no indication that our so-called leaders learned anything at all during their expensive weekend getaway. And now, we’re spending even more money to send crucial members of our executive staff to pick up an award. While Todd is partying, Newburgh is paralyzed.
At the time of this writing (Friday, June 14), four days have passed since the initial cyberattack and we know virtually nothing. No extensive details have been released by the city, which makes an ironic mockery of the “transparency” award that Todd was picking up in Orlando while this happened. Orange County and Executive Steve Neuhaus have been more transparent about this incident than the City of Newburgh!
That’s the most frustrating part of this whole incident. While cyberattacks happen with unfortunate regularity, Newburgh City Hall’s abject lack of communication and transparency with the public is appalling. Having more insight into what’s happening would go miles towards securing residents’ trust in city operations.
Seems Todd Venning was too busy jet-setting to get this memo — which is unfortunate, because despite the performative, vacuous gesture of accepting an award that recognizes transparency, our City Manager has led an unprecedented lockdown of civic discourse and information-sharing.
The time is now! This city needs an enema. Let’s flush out City Hall — starting at the top. We need a fresh start. Clear out the executive office, remove the egomaniac of a mayor as well as the completely useless and feckless City Council. This catastrophic failure of leadership should be a catalyst to major change: Newburgh residents need to unite and demand reforms that will create lasting change once and for all.
Hael Stewart-Fisher
City of Newburgh
