Feb. 26, 2014:  Bronxville's Village Administrator Harold Porr didn't mention stewardship in describing his career in the public sector. However, as his March 27 retirement date approaches, Porr's reflections on his work made clear that a strong sense of stewardship serves him as both a practical and a philosophical foundation.

Porr learned that lesson early, he related, on his first job, at age 14, at a Weyerhaeuser distribution center his father managed. Porr earned $1.00 per hour doing inventory control work. "At that age, I liked making money," he said, "but I also liked being engaged in work with people who took their jobs seriously, with a proper work ethic, doing work that seemed important."

Porr credits that work ethic, demonstrated by people doing office work and administrative tasks, as well as the manual labor of unloading lumber from railroad cars, as a strong influence in his professional life.

He admits that one of the most significant surprises in moving into the public sector was learning how important the work is. "We have the ultimate authority to extract money from people," he pointed out. "That's a very powerful thing, and our job is to make sure that the money is used faithfully and correctly to provide services in an efficient, cost-effective way."

Porr's public sector career began when, in his late twenties, the Orange County executive appointed him as speechwriter. Before that, Porr taught English. "I still have my teaching license," he laughed. "I haven't used it since 1979, but I have it."

Speechwriting proved a gateway to increased administrative responsibilities such as writing press releases and budget messages for the county executive. Porr later served as city manager in Newburgh, NY, for ten years and worked for the City of Long Beach for two years. Porr has held the Bronxville village administrator position for ten years.

"Basically, what I do is supervise the day-to-day activities of the village government and supervise department heads and employees," he said, but when important challenges arise that call for special attention to public safety, he works to help ensure that the village could continue to provide essential services.

Porr noted that when Superstorm Sandy hit and much of the village lost electric power, he and the village staff were on the phone every day, virtually the whole day, to make sure they could obtain the resources needed to get residents back to a normal life.

It is that work, Porr said, along with the people who live in Bronxville and the people he works with, that has made him happy to get up every morning and come to work. "There is always something to attend to," he said, "to make better and improve upon, and we do have the gift of being able to help people, whether it's providing for someone in need or resolving a problem for people."

When asked about what he is most proud of from his tenure in Bronxville, Porr didn't hesitate to indicate the "very sound" fiscal condition of the village. With its Aaa bond rating and a healthy fund balance, Bronxville can borrow money at favorable rates. "We carefully monitor all of our fiscal affairs," he stated, "and I think that is the number-one accomplishment I'm most proud of."

To his successor, Porr advises taking advantage of the rich resources available in the Bronxville community. "We have fantastic people serving on our boards and advisory committees," he said, "all top-notch quality people who have a lot to give, and they give their services and talents as volunteers. That's part of the quality of this place, that so many people give so much to make the village thrive and be vibrant."

To Bronxville residents, Porr advises remaining aware that the quality of life found here doesn't just happen. It's achieved when the community and the government work together.

Pictured here:  Village Administrator Harry Porr.

Photo by N. Bower