Spring Valley, NY - Village Hires Former Assemblyman Karben

Spring Valley, NY - People stopping by the village attorney's office will soon see former Assemblyman Ryan Karben, who was hired by the village board this week to be first deputy attorney. Karben will be required to be at Village Hall 2 1/2 days a week and will make $55,000 a year.
Karben abruptly left the Assembly on May 18 amid allegations.

The 3-1 vote, with Trustee Bettie Brown voting "no" and Trustee Philip Rosenthal absent, was taken at the end of the board's Tuesday meeting, though it had not been listed on the regular agenda.

Mayor George Darden, who brought up the resolution under the "new business" portion of the agenda, said one of Karben's duties would be to oversee the village's $43 million urban renewal plan. "We hired him as a lawyer, not his personal life," Darden said about Karben. "I want a good lawyer and I think he is a good lawyer. I thought someone young and energetic would give our law department a jump-start."
"One of things we want to make sure is this project moves on," Darden said. "The village has been in limbo for 20 to 30 years. We want to make sure it gets done in the next three years."

Karben said that he was "delighted to be able to represent Spring Valley with the same vigor and focus that I represent with my private clients."

Trustee Bettie Brown said that she opposed the hiring because she didn't like being asked to vote on a resolution with last-minute information in a nonemergency situation, especially since it had not been discussed with her previously. Trustee Philip Rosenthal, who was on vacation in Los Angeles, said he was unaware of the vote or the mayor's plan to hire Karben. "I can't believe it wasn't mentioned to me," he said. "I had no idea."
Floyd Morse, who is a member of the village's Planning Board. "It's a shame."