At least someones getting a raises. Unbelievable.

[onthejob]

www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/hempstead-town-board-considering-pay-raises-1.6523067
Hempstead Town Board considering pay raises
December 1, 2013 by AISHA AL-MUSLIM / [e-mail]


The Hempstead Town Board is considering giving itself pay raises of $10,000 and $5,000 starting next year.

The proposed raises would increase Supervisor Kate Murray's salary to $160,000 from $150,000 per year, a 6.67 percent raise. The other six town board members would go from making $66,000 per year to $71,000, a 7.58 percent raise.

"Governing a township with a population greater than four states is complex and demands qualified professionals who deserve fair compensation for their work," town spokesman Michael Deery said in a statement, adding the supervisor and town board members haven't had a salary increase since early 2010.


Receiver of Taxes Donald Clavin's salary raise to $130,000 from $120,000 per year, about an 8.33 percent increase, was approved by the board Tuesday. The receiver's salary was last adjusted in 2009. Deery's pay hike to $188,886 from $182,886 was also approved.

"In the town budget it projects a zero percent increase," town critic Felix Procacci, of Franklin Square, a former supervisor candidate who lost on Nov. 5 to Murray, said at the town board meeting Tuesday. "The question is why wasn't that included in the projected amount?"

In response, Murray disputed at the meeting that the 2014 budget of $431.9 million did not include their projected salary increases. But the budget does not show projected increases for the salaries of the supervisor, council members or the receiver of taxes.

"There hasn't been an increase in over 4 years," Murray told Procacci.

Democratic leaders at the meeting denounced the proposal, pointing out the move comes after the general election.

"We think that the raise issue should be brought up to the people before the general election, so that they can voice their opposition or support for it," said Bob Young, Town of Hempstead Democratic Committee first deputy leader. "Why do we always do it after a general election? But it seems to be common practice."

At the meeting, Henry Boitel, president of the Rockville Centre Democratic Club, joined other town critics in requesting town board meetings be recorded to promote transparency.

"Make it more open and more transparent, so that the people really know what you are doing," Boitel said.

In response to inquiries about recording meetings, Murray said, "It is still being discussed."

The salary increase proposal is subject to a public hearing on Dec. 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion, adjacent to Hempstead Town Hall.

[redstone14]

"Why do we always do it after a general election?"

Uh, so you don't piss off the taxpayers and risk losing the election?

[onthejob]

Nassau town officials coy about own pay raises
December 2, 2013 by JOYE BROWN / [e-mail]

Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray speaks to the
What a difference an election makes. And, yes, we're still talking winners and losers, but not in the way Hempstead and North Hempstead residents might think.

Both towns recently surprised residents with the news that their elected officials deserve raises.

Maybe the officials do.

Maybe the officials don't.

But neither town -- conveniently, as, alas, has become habit in most Long Island municipalities -- brought up the issue during the campaign. And neither brought it up during the public hearings when town budgets were adopted either.

Instead, in Hempstead, residents found out about proposed raises -- of between $10,000 and $5,000 for supervisor and board members -- in the silence of the lull before Thanksgiving last week.

Even then, after one resident complained about the post-election ambush during last Tuesday's town board meeting, Hempstead tried to play it coy.

The town's 2014 budget, as adopted, listed -- as it should -- contractual and other raises due union and most nonunion employees.

But the document remained stubbornly silent about the town's intent to raise salaries for Supervisor Kate Murray, town board members and other elected and appointed officials.

What makes it so bad -- and so misleading -- is that the budget did anticipate funding the raises, but with money hidden elsewhere in the document.

At least Hempstead has money enough to fund its proposed raises. In North Hempstead, officials plan on digging into the town's rainy day fund for salary increases.

And to make a bad idea -- and worse budget practice -- even worse, the town is hiding behind an appointed town supervisor, Town Attorney John Riordan, to push the politically dicey proposition through.

Perhaps that's because in North Hempstead, some of the proposed raises are big.

Really big.

For town board, salaries would jump 37.5 percent, receiver of taxes by 27.8 percent, and town clerk by 23.5 percent. The salary for North Hempstead supervisor would go up by 3.8 percent.

Contrast that with the proposed raises in Hempstead, which would increase supervisor pay by 6.67 percent and town board salaries by 7.58 percent.

That sounds comparatively small -- unless, of course, you consider that seniors on Social Security next year will receive a cost-of-living increase of 1.5 percent.

Spokesmen for Hempstead, where Republicans rule, and North Hempstead, which is dominated by Democrats, both point out that elected and other officials haven't had a raise in years.

But this isn't just about the amount of the raises.

In Hempstead, it's the old bait and switch, where just before Election Day town taxes are lowered, which makes voters happy. But then come proposed -- but planned in advance -- pay increases, which ought to make voters angry.

Still, over in North Hempstead, it gets worse, with elected officials hiding behind a town supervisor who was appointed after former Supervisor Jon Kaiman took on another job.

Riordan's got nothing to lose politically because he never ran for office. But for the town board, that's another matter.

Will they hide behind the unelected Riordan when the proposal comes up for a hearing and a vote on the same day next week? Or do the right thing by delaying the proposal until after newly elected Supervisor Judy Bosworth takes over?

Elected officials in North Hempstead and Hempstead say they deserve raises. If that's so, residents, in turn, deserve a proper vetting process that's timely and transparent.

[fakelottotix]

I especially love the parts in both Newsrag articles where Jimmy and the other union heads give their opinions on this matter....

[fiveo]

Do you really think that Newrag cares what Jimmy or any other union head has to say? And even if they did ask them for their opinion, they'll print the worst quote that they can muster up.

[opie]

Typical Nassau Republican corruption! TAX REVOLT party! Oh Yea!

[fakelottotix]

Actually,yes, I do think Jimmy should make a response in Newsday and on News12 and Fios1. Not a fan of them but they are the ONLY media outlets on Long Island. Long before I even took the test I knew who Gary Dellaraba was and he was constantly out there selling Nassau's Finest as the best cops around and not afraid to voice his opinion on matters like this. The silence from this board is more than deafening, its financially devastating.

[onthejob]

Hempstead Town board OKs pay raises for itself
11:32 AM By Aisha Al-Muslim


The Hempstead Town board unanimously approved raises for the town supervisor and councilmembers after a public hearing at a board meeting Tuesday morning.
The board approved a measure that increases Supervisor Kate Murray’s salary to $160,000 from $150,000 per year, a 6.67 percent raise. The other six town board members would go from making $66,000 per year to $71,000, a 7.58 percent raise.
The supervisor and town board members haven’t had a salary increase since early 2010, town officials said.
Newsday Hempstead reporter Aisha Al-Muslim posted updates from the meeting.