Westchester County legislators agreed last week that any pay raises for its members should not take effect until 2010.
That was one of several recommendations made by a compensation advisory board appointed earlier this year by the board of legislators.
However, disputes among some legislators arose regarding the elimination of stipends, retroactive raises and compensation for the board chair.
The Democratic majority last week issued a joint statement proposing no salary adjustments until 2010. Any further raises after that should be capped by a cost of living index.
Those were among the recommendations made by the seven-member panel headed by William M. Mooney Jr., president of the Westchester County Association.
But Michael Kaplowitz, legislative vice chairman, further called for the elimination of stipends for legislators and no retroactive raises.
The Somers Democrat said the advisory board”™s report “confirmed what I believed” to be a fair account of what legislators should be compensated.
“We are pretty right-priced right now,” said Kaplowitz. “We knew what the salary was when we ran (for office).”
He said the board”™s legislative committee will now be discussing the issue of compensation packages for legislators and he hopes the commission”™s suggestions are taken into account.
Kaplowitz said all the legislators, including the board chairman, are part-time employees and should be paid as such.
“This job definitely requires a full-time effort, but it”™s not a full-time job,” he said.
Board Chairman William Ryan disagrees, at least when it comes to his position.
Ryan argued that the board chairman has too many responsibilities to be considered anything but full time.
He said those who would believe otherwise, “should invest time to find out how comprehensive this position is.”
Ryan said the board chairman has a greater amount of responsibilities than “rank and file” legislators that require a full-time workload.
As an example, he said the board of legislator”™s chief of staff position has not been filled for two years ago and the board chairman must fill that role as well.
“I think there needs to be recognition on the part of everyone that the chairman of the board of legislators is a full-time working position that requires the full attention of the person on the job,” Ryan said.
Responding to claims by some that Ryan has expanded the role of the chairman from its traditional role, he said that the board over the years has added more responsibilities to the chairman position.
“The job is today the way that the legislators put it together,” he said.
Ryan said he would not seek salary or stipend increases for this year, but would not agree that stipends should be eliminated, an assertion made by Kaplowitz.
“You should be compensated for the work you do,” Ryan said.
But Kaplowitz, in a statement co-signed by fellow legislators Judy Myers and Bill Burton, reiterated his stance on stipends.
“We recognize that these are tough economic times and as the fiduciaries of the taxpayers”™ hard earned money, we simply must pare back anyway we can,” Kaplowitz said.
Legislator John Nonna, D-Pleasantville, said serving on the board “is a real commitment,” but it should be left to county voters to determine whether legislators serve full or part time.
“Legislators have always been part time, but the job has gotten more complex,” said Nonna, who is serving his first term on the board. “But it”™s an issue that should be put to the voters.”
The Republican caucus on the board, headed by Minority Leader George Oros, issued a “strong opposition” to any increase in salaries or stipends for county legislators.
“The Republican caucus has consistently opposed stipend increases since they were proposed by the board”™s Democratic leadership last December and also proposes that any stipends for committee chairpersons and leadership positions should be set by the entire Board of Legislators as a fixed salary and not awarded by the Board chairman as a political award for loyalty,” read a portion of a statement issued by the four-person caucus.
