$7 million in hiring since Nassau's freeze

Nassau County has hired 113 full-time and 28 part-time and seasonal workers, at a cost of more than $7 million in salary and benefits, since County Executive Edward Mangano announced a hiring freeze on all but essential employees in December.

The hiring by the administration in the midst of a county budget crisis has triggered criticism by Democratic lawmakers and some union leaders. But Mangano, a Republican, argues that he's saved millions more in salaries and benefits because of the departure of highly paid employees.

Matters of interpretation

The new full-time hires include at least 45 appointees who are exempt from civil service hiring rules, records show. They include two $70,000-a-year special assistants for the county executive and his staff, a $65,000 community service representative for the traffic violations bureau, and another paid $57,000 in the parks department.

Also, 17 new full-time workers, earning between $30,000 to $50,000 each, were added to the county Board of Elections, where political hiring by Nassau Democrats and Republicans is a long-accepted rule.

Mangano is struggling to close a $176-million deficit cited by the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state watchdog agency that has taken control of the county's finances.

In response to NIFA, Mangano submitted a deficit-reduction plan in March that includes 213 layoffs, furloughs, reduced hiring of seasonal and part-time personnel, and wage freezes.

Mangano aides argue the county has realized more than $4.5 million in savings of salaries and benefits because of the retirement and termination of highly paid longtime employees, despite a small net gain of 12 workers since the hiring freeze was announced Dec. 16. And they contend that fewer than 20 of the new appointees, which include seven deputy county attorneys, were hired under Mangano's "purview."

Spokesman Brian Nevin said because Mangano had "reined in government, Nassau County will operate with funding for 800 fewer employees than last year." Nevin said Mangano "has reduced the workforce to the lowest level since the 1950s," through attrition and layoffs.

Nevin said the county had an estimated 11,000 employees in 1959 compared with 8,100 today. But Democrats expressed doubt that most of the new appointees are essential.

"When the county executive declares a hiring freeze it seems to me there needs to be heightened scrutiny for hiring new people. Do we need special assistants when the county executive declares a hiring freeze for all titles?" said Legis. Wayne Wink (D-Roslyn).

Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick) said, "I guess a hiring freeze only applies to civil servants and union employees. Political and patronage employees are always welcome in this administration."

Nevin retorted, "The Democrats are nervous since they know the county executive reduced patronage positions by over $11 million since taking office."

NIFA, which does not approve hiring, did not respond to calls for comment Tuesday.

At Wink's request, the legislature's Office of Budget Review examined hiring from Dec. 16 through March 24, after the county executive had outlined his layoff plans.

The office found that 100 new full-time workers were hired while 90 left the payroll in that period. The cost of the new salaries is $4.6 million while the total salaries of the departing workers was $6.7 million, for a savings of about $2.1 million in salaries alone.

According to records supplied to Newsday from the county comptroller, 113 full-time employees had been hired through April 7; Nevin said 101 had left the payroll by then.

Public safety in mind?

Nevin said many of the new hires "relate to public safety, are grant funded or are state mandated." Some, including 10 ambulance and medical technicians in the police department, are intended to reduce overtime costs, he said.

Nevin did not say why the county executive appointees are considered essential.

The election board traditionally does its own hiring. However, Chief Deputy County Executive Rob Walker said Mangano will rein in that spending, too. "There will be a decrease in their budget."

They also said that 12 of the new full-time employees were hired by other elected officials. District Attorney Kathleen Rice hired nine investigators and lawyers.

But Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the Civil Service Employee Association, expressed dismay at the nonunion hires.

"I'm looking at 213 layoffs. The last thing I want to hear is we hired ordinance," referring to appointee's classification.

Police Benevolent Association president James Carver said of Mangano: "He called for a freeze on all county workers while he hires people and that's hypocritical."