Health & Fitness
Our New Tax Increase Explained in " DOLLARS AND NONSENSE "
Clarkstown has a Triple A " Employee Overtime Payout Problem "
In what will be the First Installment in a continuing series of disclosures of how your tax dollars are spent, we begin with earlier this year:
The Clarkstown Police Department disclosed a single overtime abuse within the Department, a claim of four hours of overtime by an officer who did not work those hours. Controversy has swirled around town over the numerous reasons why this was exposed as well as other different hidden motives behind this particular overtime disclosure. The Clarkstown Taxpayers asked the Supervisor and the Town Board at the following Town Board Meeting to use an outside auditing firm and find out if any other improprieties of overtime abuse are taking place in the Clarkstown Police Department. What we received was silence on that advice. The Town Board only spoke about being comforted by the Police Chief’s decision and their agreement for the Clarkstown Police Department to continue doing their own “internal investigation”. We can only wait for that report and it’s conclusions to reveal what any investigation of one’s self will disclose.
Find out what's happening in New Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Over the last five years, overtime costs for the Clarkstown Police Department have amounted to more than $17 million dollars, an average of $3.4 million per year. The unaudited amount for 2012 was $3.8 million. These numbers cry out for an Immediate and Mandatory accounting by an outside auditing firm. Not only will they look for improper payments but the process used to claim overtime. All of these claims individually need to be disclosed, disected and substantiated. An analysis of management decisions that are being used now to determine overtime, could suggest how changes to control and lower these costs can be implemented. Reforms and discipline are desperately needed for any integrity to be applied to this system. All of what is seen only looks like a deliberate procedure for abuse and pension padding. The Clarkstown Police Department has been perceived using the increased overtime numbers as a tool and/or bargaining ploy to increase the hiring of police officers. This vicious cycle of negotiations need to end.
Now let us change focus and take a look at the other Departments in the Town of Clarkstown. We thought it best to showcase this in a framework of a Top Ten Offenders List. Figures are based on last year’s 2012 salary schedule and overtime payouts. So we begin with a countdown starting with # 10.
Find out what's happening in New Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Number
Name
Salary +
2012 Overtime
10
Christopher Seiler
77,593.00
30,063.00
9
Roberto Zayas
83,180.00
30,879.00
8
Joseph Koester
56,042.00
30,983.00
7
Joseph Profenna*
101,626.00
31,878.00
6
Richard Cummings
96,300.00
33,609.00
5
Dennis Malone
89,650.00
34,335.00
4
Lorraine Monahan
85,843.00
35,299.00
3
Brian Duddy
76,079.00
65,159.00
2
Joel Epstein
106,765.00
69,745.00
1
Ralph Lauria
119,263.00
72,669.00
*Mr. Profenna is the Highway Maintenance Supervisor in the Highway Department. The bulk of his overtime was due to Hurricane Sandy and was reimbursed by FEMA.
Just when you thought the salary compensation given out by the Town of Clarkstown was abusive enough, they have added additional insult to injury with overtime costs. Total overtime cost for just these ten individuals was $434,619.00. Add their salaries of $754,751.00 and you get an additional 57% cost increase in salary compensation
Our # 10 Winner Christopher Seiler is one of four individuals in the Sewer Department that have all boosted their base take home pay -- well into the “ Six Figure” territory
One-half of the Top Ten, Numbers 3,4,6,8 & 9 work as Police Dispatchers. There are 13 dispatchers in the Department handling 21 shifts. There should be no overtime with two per shift -- certainly not $196,000.00 in overtime costs.
Next we have, Dennis Malone who came out at #5 by raking in over $34,000 in overtime for 2012, receiving a patronage job promotion to Fleet Manager in September, 2012 with a salary boost to $93,000 and by the look of it, serving as a Department Head he is still entitled to add overtime to his salary. In January and February, 2013 alone, Mr. Malone has added $2,917.00 and $4,889.00, respectively in overtime to his new salary of $102,483.00.
Our next subject, # 2, Joel Epstein whose job description can best be described as “liaison for anything in town which can only lead to an unlimited amount of overtime”. At last month’s Nanuet Civic Association Meeting, the Building Department Inspector Peter Beary was requested by the Association to speak to their members about various building violations in the area. Peter Beary is not entitled to overtime and apparently his annual salary of almost $170,000 is not enough compensation to make an effort to appear at a Civic Association Meeting. It makes perfect sense to send Joel Epstein, so he can add an additional few hours of overtime, along with his compensation package which includes the unlimited use of a 24 / 7 Town Car.
Now we come to our #1 overtime winner Ralph Lauria. Mr. Lauria took home $4,383.00 more than his own Director of Environmental Control who only made $187,549.00 in 2012.
In summary, our overtime costs in 2012 for Town employees (excluding police) came to a total of $2,169,076.70. Add to that our total police overtime of $3,820,254.00 and you come up with a grand total of $5,989,330.00. Coincidentally, this is approximately the amount of our latest Tax Increase.
When you take the outlandish salaries and add these exorbitant, uncontrolled and unmonitored overtime spending policies, it will spell only one thing for all of us. I will let you fill in the blank.
Stay tuned for Part 2 in the series, I’m sure that too, will leave you with additional anxiety and that empty feeling in your stomach along with your bank account.
Frank Grandel and Amy Durbin, Steering Committee Members -- Clarkstown Taxpayers
