Orlando ED salary hit, new deputy at Del Mem Br (PERSONNEL)

The salaries paid to Mike Snyder Orlando toll's executive director and other senior staff came under fire at the first meeting of a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) from the committee chairman, former senator Dan Webster. Webster said he had identified over $600k/year in salary cuts needed at the Orlando Orange County (Toll) Expressway Authority, singling out executive director Mike Snyder.

Webster said Snyder's $246k/yr salary is $110k higher than the equivalent at the state DOT.

The CAC advisory committee was established by the board of directors in response to release of a grand jury report suggesting a "culture of corruption" prevailed at the toll agency which paid off an anti-toll activist with a $107k no-work contract and hit on vendors to make political contributions to politicians - but which found no indictable offense.

All this happened a couple of years back, but legal maneuvers by the then chairman of the toll authority Alan Keen delayed its release.

Local media are characterizing the CAC as a "blue-ribbon panel" - a quaint old boosterish term that.

The board recently renewed Snyder's employment contract for three years so the criticism of his salary seems unlikely to have any practical effect, apart from reinforcing a public perception of the Orlando authority as a bunch of self-servers. (Maybe the FDOT position is underpaid?)

Minor appointment at Delaware River & Bay Authority

Frank Minor is now number two at Delaware River & Bay Authority (DRBA) which runs the big Delaware Memorial Bridge, twin suspension spans linking the New Jersey and Delaware turnpikes.

Minor, 51, will be the new deputy executive director succeeding Donald Rainear who recently retired from the position.

At DRBA the deputy focuses on economic development projects, plans communications internally and externally including marketing, handles governmental affairs fostering authority relationships with state and local officials, and proposes charitable donations. He reports to James T Johnson, executive director.

Minor is the mayor of Logan Township, New Jersey which houses the 3,000 acre Pureland Industrial Complex. A graduate of Syracuse University he has specialized in job placement and public affairs and is a partner in Access Consulting LLC.

DRBA ED Johnson is quoted as saying the authority is fortunate to have recruited Minor given his wealth of experience in economic development, community and government relations, and marketing.

The Delaware Memorial toll bridge is the authority's major money spinner. As well as the bridge DRBA runs the Cape May-Lewes car ferries at the mouth of the river, and the Three Forts Ferry a little upstream, two small airports in New Jersey and three in Delaware, and a business park in Salem NJ.

DRBA is a bistate agency of DE and NJ.

NOTE: Our apologies to Frank Minor for the headline above, but his name makes it irresistible. And it's catchy.

TOLLROADSnews 2009-04-22