Residents question pay cut, union president threatens lawsuit
Rotterdam’s proposed 2011 budget totals nearly $21 million and has reduced the resident property tax from over 11 percent to 7.4 percent, but that doesn’t mean residents are praising the budget.
The Rotterdam Town Board held a special meeting on Thursday, Nov. 4, to hold a public hearing for the 2011 preliminary budget. Residents faced a high tax burden previously, but board members have eased the sting by reducing Town Assessor Craig Surprise’s salary by 50 percent. Supervisor Frank Del Gallo said at the meeting the position will now be part time, which brings Surprise’s salary from $66,610 to $33,305.
Does this reduction in salary put the town at risk for a potential lawsuit for break of contract? asked Richard Malaczynski.
In response, Del Gallo said he `didn’t think that would happen.`
Councilman Gerard Parisi asked if any other town official’s salary had been cut in half in the budget and if there was a reason why that particular position’s salary was being cut in half.
`I doubt I will get an answer from anybody, but those are my questions,` said Parisi adding `other than personal vendettas` being the reasoning for the pay cut.
Another element brought up in the budget was the several instances where the budgeted amount allocated was higher than the amount requested by the department head.
`There are a few budget line items were the department requested amount is lower than the budgeted amount,` said resident Frank Salamone. `Where did that increase come from, because it is not what the department requested, so I am curious to know who puts in that added money.`
One instance pointed out by Salamone was the CIS Support and Upgrade line under Central Data Process on page 8 of the budget, on which the department head requested $85,000, but the budgeted amount allocated $110,000.
Del Gallo didn’t have a clear answer at the meeting for the higher budgeted amount.
`We’ll have to check into it,` said Del Gallo.
Salamone continued to question Del Gallo and said, `So we don’t know why they’re getting more money than they requested, that is what you’re saying? It is a public hearing on the budget and we don’t know why the budget items are increased above what they requested?`
Del Gallo responded to Salamone saying, `What we do is meet with heads of the department and we go through all these numbers and I would have to be a mathematical genius to remember every single one and every single thing we talked about.`
Rotterdam Town Attorney Joseph Liccardi repeated to Salamone that the issue would be looked into.
While some budget lines are also increasing, Conrad Johnson, president of the CSEA union in Rotterdam, had some concerns about budget cuts in union member staffing.
`I must go on record as opposing the budget on the conditions that include layoff of full-timer union employees while employing part-timers,` said Johnson.
He read the union’s contract with the town, which stated the town must first layoff any part-timers, temporary or probational employees before seeking to layoff full-time employees.
`If this budget is passed, my only recourse will be to file against the town of Rotterdam for breach of contract according to the language of the binding agreement.`
Visit SpotlightNews.com later for full coverage of the Rotterdam Town Board’s 2011 budget vote, which occurred last night, Wednesday, Nov. 10. An amended budget was passed from changes drafted by Council members Nicola DiLeva, Gerard Parisi and Matthew Martin. The amended budget reduced residential taxes to approximately 3.5 percent.
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