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TOP STORIES BUDGET REPORT

Nassaus top earners

Twenty police officials made at least $400G in salary, overtime and termination pay in 2013

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newsday.com NEWSDAY, MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014

BY ROBERT BRODSKY | robert.brodsky@newsday.com

WHAT THEY GOT

Average earnings of full-time employees in 2013 (includes base pay, OT and termination pay):

igh-ranking law enforcement officials dominated the list of Nassau Countys highest-paid employees last year, with a retired police lieutenant in the top spot with $554,000 in total pay, according to legislative budget officials.
Twenty police officials who retired last year were paid at least $400,000 each in total salary, including base pay, overtime and termination pay for unused sick and vacation time. Another officer with more than $400,000 in total pay a detective with the Special Investigation Squad died in a car accident in November. The termination pay went to his family, union officials said. The figures are in a new report of the countys top 300 wage earners compiled by Nassaus independent Office of Legislative Budget Review. The analysis was requested by Legis. Judy Jacobs (DWoodbury), who said Nassau legislators should have the same data as lawmakers in Suffolk, which issues an annual report on top earners. A spokeswoman for the legislative GOP majority declined to comment on the report. Members of the Superior Officers Association, Police Benevolent Association, Detectives Association, District Attorneys Investigators and four high-ranking nonunion police appointees hold all but one of the top 300 spots. One member of the Civil Service Employees Association, with total pay of more than $210,000, including base pay and overtime, made the list. Top earners included 115 members of the Superior Officers Association. Retired Lt. John ODonnell was Nassaus No. 1 earner in 2013 with $554,038 in total wages, including $122,759 in base pay; $53,425 in overtime and $313,341 in termination pay. Retired Lt. James McHale ranked second with $533,592 in total pay, including $144,977 in base salary, $41,812 in overtime and $339,072 in termination pay.

Civil Service Employees Association Correction Officers Benevolent Association Police Benevolent Association Detectives Association Inc. Investigators Police Benevolent Association Superior Officers Association
SOURCE: NASSAU COUNTY OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE BUDGET REVIEW

$63,314 $89,093 $151,304 $183,193 $202,510 $207,194

policy saves the county money by allowing officers to store up sick and vacation time. If they had to use it as they earned it, other officers could have to fill in for them on overtime, he said. The report comes as the wages of about 7,000 fulltime Nassau employees remain frozen by the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state monitoring board that controls the countys finances. Nassau faces a projected $122 million deficit in 2014, NIFA said last year. Leaders of four county labor unions reached an agreement this month with NIFA to lift the wage freeze in exchange for union concessions including requirements that new hires contribute 15 percent to their health care and pension plans. NIFA says Nassau must set aside $129 million in new revenue from speed cameras, sales tax and mortgage recording fees to cover contract costs if the concessions do not generate anticipated savings. NIFA officials and Nassau County Executive Edward Manganos office said they could not comment because they had not received copies of the Office of Legislative

Unions, NIFA agree

The top earners

Retired Capt. Alvin Johnson was third with $529,381, including $156,724 in base pay, $4,515 in overtime and $356,406 in termination pay. ODonnell declined to comment, according to union president Brian Hoesl, and efforts to reach McHale and Johnson were unsuccessful. Hoesl said the termination pay is earned, and I wholeheartedly believe they are entitled to it both contractually

and morally. Tim Hoefer, executive director of the Empire Center for Public Policy, which promotes free market principles, described the retirement packages received by Nassau cops as a prehistoric benefit that should have been rescinded years ago. These are benefits that no longer really exist in the private sector world, Hoefer said. PBA president James Carver said the termination pay