Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi got on the loudspeaker at the administration building Tuesday to wish county workers a happy Thanksgiving, and assure them they'll still have jobs to return to after the holidays.
"I wished them a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I told them there would be no firings," Clausi said. He felt compelled to deliver the message that jobs are secure following the election of a new administration that will take over in January.
Elected earlier this month to the board of commissioners were second-term Clausi, a Democrat, and newcomers Rick Shoch, a Republican attorney from Sunbury, and Stephen Bridy, an Independent financial consultant from Elysburg. "I don't want people to think the new regime is going to come in and fire people," Clausi said.
Controller Tony Phillips heard Clausi's holiday greeting while in a meeting, but said the message was a bit garbled and he missed the part about job security. "That's good news," Phillips laughed.
Clausi's comment may have left some employees scratching their heads. Last week, an informal meeting between Clausi and the two commissioners-elect ended in disagreement and claims by Bridy that Clausi threatened to "slit" the throats of some of the 11 or so employees he wanted to terminate in the next year.
Clausi admits raising the issue of eliminating positions next year, but denies threatening anyone with violence. Shoch sided with Clausi and said he did not hear him utter any threats against an employee and suggested Bridy took the comment out of context.