County Board to Get 52% Pay Bump
By Dan Murphy
The news last month that County Executive George Latimer’s proposed budget for Westchester County next year incudes pay raises for the 17-member County Board of Legislators, and for commissioners and others in county government, was met – as the way all proposed pay raises for politicians and public servants who are not members of a union are met – with distain and opposition by many taxpayers, and many in the private sector who are not members of a union and who have not seen a pay raise in years.
Westchester County legislators have not received a raise in 15 years, and currently earn $49,200, plus many perks and extras from stipends for many different leadership and committee chair positions, and other benefits. The current proposal has county legislators getting a 52 percent increase, to a base salary of $75,000 per year, for what is a part-time job.
County commissioners would also get a 26 percent pay hike and will earn $195,000 per year.
Westchester County Clerk Tim Idoni would also see a raise, to $195,000, and a retro-raise for this year from $153,000 to $175,000. Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins would also receive a pay hike, from $157,370 to $177,125 in 2019, and $197,125 in 2020.
It’s interesting to note that Latimer and the Office of County Executive will not receive a salary increase. Latimer’s salary will remain the same – $160,760 – resulting in his deputy, Jenkins, earning $37,125 more than his boss.
The rationale for salary increases for everyone who received one in the county’s proposed 2020 budget is there, but for many who oppose salary increases for any politician, this is not a time for a rational discussion. David MacKay Wilson, “Tax Watch” reporter for the Journal News, called the raises “breathtaking in their magnitude.”
BOL Chairman Ben Boykin said the raises are necessary to attract people to run for office who may not have other substantial income. Although the job is considered part-time, he said it has become much more complex in the 15 years since the last legislative pay raise. Boykin recommended the raises to Latimer, who included them in his proposed budget.
Others articulated exactly the opposite argument, that because county legislator jobs are part-time, there should be no raise.
During their discussion of the budget and the raise, two legislators – democrats Damon Maher and Terry Clements, both from New Rochelle – voted against the pay raise. Both Maher and Clements are new county legislators, both in their second two-year term.
Other county board democrats expressed reservations about giving themselves a pay raise without discussing it with their constituents. Among those legislators are democrats Kitley Covill and Nancy Barr. “We’re talking about a larger raise than the management folks are getting and it’s something, to be honest, I don’t think any of us have had the chance to consult with our constituents,” said Maher.
County legislators in Nassau and Suffolk counties earn $100,000 and $76,500 yearly, but county lawmakers in Rockland and Putnam counties earn less than the $50,000 that the Westchester legislators currently earn.
Latimer expanded on the reasons for salary increases in further detail on Facebook, posting: “The vote for adjustments for commissioners and other non-electeds was bipartisan. The Republican legislators and the majority of the Democratic legislators voted for those changes. Most of these posts went 12 years without a raise in pay.
“The salaries are still significantly less than their counterparts in Nassau, Suffolk and NYC. The money has been budgeted and does not require any increase in property taxes. There is only one elected official in the administration – me, as county executive – and there is no pay raise for me in this. In fact, for however long I am CE, I will seek no increase in pay. This is not about greed. This is about competitive salaries,” wrote Latimer.
His critics took to Facebook to oppose the pay hikes. Most notable are former Journal News reporter and dean of the Westchester news scene Phil Reisman.
“George, take a deep breath. Can’t you see why taxpayers (btw, many of whom have no union representation either and certainly do not have pensions that are constitutionally protected by the State of New York) might have legitimate objections to at least some of these raises?” wrote Reisman. “It’s not just a handful of conservatives who so easily torment you. And it’s not Lohud’s fault that this was reported and now you have a political problem to explain – please stop killing the messenger.
“Greed is alive and well in that bastion of ‘good government’ known as the Westchester County Board of Legislators. They’re doing such a great job in their part-time political positions that they’re giving themselves a substantial pay raise – 52 percent! – as well as generous salary increases for department heads, according to Journal News/Lohud reporter Mark Lungariello.
“And yet, he won’t answer why his deputy CE deserves a salary that is $37,000 more than his. This is a guy, Ken Jenkins, who was his lone opponent in the 2017 Democratic primary… a campaign that he bragged about it because of its civility. But then right after the election, he appoints Jenkins to the deputy post. Now, less than two years after taking office, Jenkins is up for a $40,000 raise to $197,000 – which needless to say will significantly pad his pension.
“Let’s see: This comes after the 15-to-2 Democratic-controlled board raised the sales tax by 1 percentage point. This also comes a good 12 days after Election Day. God forbid they let the voters in on their larcenous intentions before they went to the polls. If word had leaked out, it’s an open question as to how many of the incumbents would’ve been re-elected. Too bad they can’t do an election recall.” (End of Reisman post.)
Other independents and fiscal conservatives quipped about how republican County Legislator John Testa called the pay raises “terrible optics.” But Testa voted for the pay raises, in a 15-2 vote, as did the other three republicans and conservatives on the BOL.
Tuckahoe resident Mike Dardano commented on Facebook: “Taxpayers have a right to question this because it is not just the salaries but the long-term pension costs. Most of us struggle with slow or no growth in compensation and ridiculous health care costs. We can’t vote ourselves a raise. If the politicians can’t see that, they are tone deaf. Didn’t they expect blowback? This all should have been brought up before the last election. That is total transparency. I am an independent voter and not tied to either party. I am not filled with partisan venom, just shocked that this was handled in this manner. It feeds into the stereotypes that many people have about politicians.”
In Harrison, Supervisor Ron Belmont has proposed a $30,000 salary increase for himself, so the issue of pay raises during the holidays is not unique to Westchester County government.
Eastchester Supervisor Tony Colavita has not taken a pay raise during his years as supervisor. He gave Westchester one of its wisest thoughts when he said years ago, “Keeping your job is today’s pay raise.”
