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Castor's Financial Compensation Comes Under Attack
By Bradley Vasoli, The Bulletin
Norristown — Among Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel’s criticisms of Bruce Castor’s performance as a county official pertains to his compensation for unused sick and vacation days that gained bipartisan support at the time.
Mr. Castor, just about to become a county commissioner last winter, had served as a Republican district attorney in the county for eight years. In December 2007, the Board of Commissioners approved his final annual salary of $84,822. They made his resignation as D.A. effective Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008.
His resigning that Sunday, instead of the following day when he would be sworn in as commissioner, allowed him to establish his “separation from county service” before assuming his new office. This allowed him to carry over vacation days he did not take in 2007 to 2008 and to claim payment for unused 2008 vacation days.
Mr. Hoeffel wants to scrap the rule allowing a county official to work a minimum of five days out of a year to claim unused sick and vacation leave, saying his Republican colleague exemplified the inadvisability of the current policy.
“I think it was an abuse of our rules,” Mr. Hoeffel said.
Several Castor opponents, however, supported his claim for payment of those unused off days. Democratic Commissioner Ruth Damsker, Mr. Hoeffel’s 2007 running mate, and Republican Commissioner Jim Matthews, who supported Mr. Hoeffel for vice chair over Mr. Castor, both voted for the resolution.
Mr. Matthews said at Thursday’s commissioners’ meeting that he did support the resolution on Mr. Castor’s resignation, however uncomfortably.
“Yes, indeed, I did vote for that theft of funds from the county,” he said.
An inter-office memorandum from Assistant Deputy Solicitor Larry J. Folmar recommended to Mr. Castor that he request to resign as D.A. on a day prior to his swearing-in as commissioner.
“For reasons referred to in this memo,” Mr. Folmar said, “in my opinion you should resign your office as district attorney prior to the expiration of your term ….”
Among the reasons the assistant deputy solicitor cited were the rights Mr. Castor would have to compensation for vacation and sick days he did not take.
Mr. Castor said Mr. Hoeffel’s complaint about leave compensation is part and parcel of an attack Mr. Hoeffel has made on his character. Most notably, Mr. Hoeffel has expressed outrage about emails Mr. Castor sent while D.A. to a former employee concerning campaign activities, something Mr. Castor has said he shouldn’t have done. But Mr. Castor said his Democratic colleague should look to his own ally Mr. Matthews if he’s concerned about communications of that sort.
“[They] must know of the legion of emails I have from Matthews’ county computer related to political activities,” Mr. Castor said. “[I’m] just waiting for some investigator to ask for them.”
Bradley Vasoli can be reached at bvasoli@thebulletin.us
Mr. Castor, just about to become a county commissioner last winter, had served as a Republican district attorney in the county for eight years. In December 2007, the Board of Commissioners approved his final annual salary of $84,822. They made his resignation as D.A. effective Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008.
His resigning that Sunday, instead of the following day when he would be sworn in as commissioner, allowed him to establish his “separation from county service” before assuming his new office. This allowed him to carry over vacation days he did not take in 2007 to 2008 and to claim payment for unused 2008 vacation days.
Mr. Hoeffel wants to scrap the rule allowing a county official to work a minimum of five days out of a year to claim unused sick and vacation leave, saying his Republican colleague exemplified the inadvisability of the current policy.
“I think it was an abuse of our rules,” Mr. Hoeffel said.
Several Castor opponents, however, supported his claim for payment of those unused off days. Democratic Commissioner Ruth Damsker, Mr. Hoeffel’s 2007 running mate, and Republican Commissioner Jim Matthews, who supported Mr. Hoeffel for vice chair over Mr. Castor, both voted for the resolution.
Mr. Matthews said at Thursday’s commissioners’ meeting that he did support the resolution on Mr. Castor’s resignation, however uncomfortably.
“Yes, indeed, I did vote for that theft of funds from the county,” he said.
An inter-office memorandum from Assistant Deputy Solicitor Larry J. Folmar recommended to Mr. Castor that he request to resign as D.A. on a day prior to his swearing-in as commissioner.
“For reasons referred to in this memo,” Mr. Folmar said, “in my opinion you should resign your office as district attorney prior to the expiration of your term ….”
Among the reasons the assistant deputy solicitor cited were the rights Mr. Castor would have to compensation for vacation and sick days he did not take.
Mr. Castor said Mr. Hoeffel’s complaint about leave compensation is part and parcel of an attack Mr. Hoeffel has made on his character. Most notably, Mr. Hoeffel has expressed outrage about emails Mr. Castor sent while D.A. to a former employee concerning campaign activities, something Mr. Castor has said he shouldn’t have done. But Mr. Castor said his Democratic colleague should look to his own ally Mr. Matthews if he’s concerned about communications of that sort.
“[They] must know of the legion of emails I have from Matthews’ county computer related to political activities,” Mr. Castor said. “[I’m] just waiting for some investigator to ask for them.”
Bradley Vasoli can be reached at bvasoli@thebulletin.us
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