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Weeks after New York City officials were caught off guard by a terrible snowstorm in November, Mayor Bill de Blasio again seemed unprepared – this time by a botched plan to expel his Emergency Management Commissioner, Joseph Esposito.
The resignation of senior officials has not been the mayors' stronghold. He rarely does it, even in the midst of scandal. But the treatment of Mr. Esposito's departure – a three-day misadventure where no one seemed to know he had been fired – even allowed the mayor's supporters to publicly challenge the process.
At the end of Monday night Mr. M. de Blasio answered a question: Mr. Esposito would no longer be in charge of emergency management. Many questions remained, especially when Mr. Esposito was gone.
"We have started the process of changing leadership in emergency management in New York," said the mayor in a statement sent after 22 hours. Monday. "Commissioner Joe Esposito will continue to lead O.E.M. as we conduct a national search for his successor. "
Mr M. de Blasio, who did not explain why a new management was necessary, added that Mr Esposito could perhaps occupy another position within his administration.
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The late-night statement – sent nearly six hours after Esposito met with Mr. de Blasio at Gracie Mansion – ended a 72-hour confusion at City Hall. Chaos began Friday when a deputy mayor met with Esposito, whose role includes co-ordinating the city's response to acts of terrorism and major storms.
Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin asked Mr. Esposito to resign, according to a person informed of the exchange
Esposito refused
Ms. Anglin told him that he would be fired Mr. Esposito stated that He would need to hear this directly from Mr. de Blasio, he said.
But Mr. de Blasio was not even in town: he was going to Vermont to spend the weekend with Senator Bernie Sanders. Mr. Esposito tried to reach the mayor by phone, but without success, said this person.
When the mayor reappeared in New York on Monday, he took the very unusual position of refusing to publicly support or fire Mr. Esposito. He canceled his only scheduled appearance, a weekly interview on NY1, and instead agreed to meet Mr. Esposito at Gracie Mansion.
Esposito came out of the meeting, which lasted about an hour, without comment. His fate is still uncertain. Reached by text message late Monday, Mr. Esposito declined to comment. "Ask the mayor," he said to the question of whether he still had a job.
It is thus that one of the most bizarre personal puzzles to unfold under the designation of Mr. de Blasio took place: "Nine months ago, the Mayor announced the hiring of a new Chancellor of Schools, but that the candidate rejected the offer a day later
The decision to request the resignation of M Esposito was not clear at all, reported by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, either that Mrs. Anglin acted on her own or under the orders of Mr. de Blasio.
The episode of the firing, whether it is or not, has added another surreal layer to that of last month. A snowstorm that paralyzed much of New York City and sparked many criticisms about how Blasio 's administration dealt with it.
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The demand for his resignation has plunged many people into the government of New York City in a state of uncertainty.
For much of the day, Council members rented Mr. Esposito,
Joe Borelli, Councilor on Staten Island and Chair of the Emergency Management Committee, defended Mr. Esposito, saying that there was no indication that he was responsible for the problems that occurred during the snowstorm.
"There has never been any impact on the fact that he was responsible for one or the other of the problems," Borelli said. "We do not understand why they decided Friday to make him a scapegoat."
Anglin asked for Esposito's resignation at the end of last week at Brooklyn Emergency Management headquarters, according to the person informed of the exchange. She was in the building to witness what was described as a routine meeting to track the city's reaction to the storm.
Following this meeting, she met Mr. Esposito, said the person concerned
. Esposito refused to give details or to indicate whether he had an individual interview with Mrs. Anglin
. The mayor's office gave no details or explanation. Blasio should answer questions Tuesday
The sanitation commissioner, Kathryn Garcia, said on Monday that she attended a meeting in the emergency management offices, which was attended by Ms. Anglin, other senior officials and staff members. She described this meeting as a "regular meeting" focused on improving the city's response to similar situations and how "you share data in an emergency."
She stated that she had not been informed of any changes. in the direction of the emergency management office.
million. Esposito appeared Thursday with several city officials at a city council hearing on the city's reaction to the blizzard. Council members mainly interviewed Ms. Garcia; Mr. Esposito has rarely spoken.
"The problem was that the event was broadcast only by gust – it was just dusting – that's what everyone was reacting to or working on until the day of the snow," did he declare. point. "This event took us by surprise because of bad forecasts."
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