Hempstead repeals outside income cap, approves appointments

The Hempstead Town Board on Tuesday unanimously repealed an outside income cap on town board members and approved hires for Supervisor Laura Gillen’s staff.

Gillen’s seven new hires include two former staffers to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration. Gillen hired Rochelle Kelly-Apson, a former director of downstate intergovernmental affairs at Cuomo’s office, for a $125,000 post as an executive assistant to the supervisor, and Barbara Brancaccio, a former spokeswoman for the state Office of Storm Recovery, as the director of communications for $160,000, according to the resolutions.

Gillen has criticized the $205,000 salary for former communications director Mike Deery, who was transferred to Tax Receiver Don Clavin’s office as a confidential assistant in December amid 192 personnel moves during outgoing Supervisor Anthony Santino’s final meeting.

Another hire, Deborah Algios, donated $275 to Gillen’s campaign last year, according to state campaign finance records. She was appointed to be an $80,000 confidential secretary to Gillen.

The other hires are Maureen Cashin as a $70,000 community research assistant, Ari McKenzie as a $135,000 special assistant, Sean Montazami as a $42,500 community research assistant, and Christopher Young as a $47,500 messenger.

“I need to bring my staff on in order to perform my duties as supervisor,” Gillen said during the meeting.

Also on Tuesday, the town board voted unanimously to repeal the income cap. In 2017, Santino led the passage of an ethics package that included a $125,000 outside income cap on town board members.

Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney said that the income cap specifically targeted council members such as herself and Councilmen Bruce Blakeman and Ed Ambrosino, who work as attorneys, to keep them from running for re-election. Each council member receives a $71,000 salary for part-time work. Gillen receives $160,000 for a full-time position.

Councilman Bruce Blakeman said the board would further review other aspects in the ethics package.

“We are going to meticulously and deliberately look at all our ethics laws and amend them,” Blakeman said. “We’re going to do that relatively quickly.”

Town Attorney Joe Ra said the town had to wait until March to create a Civil Service position for a compliance officer, to act as an inspector general.

The income cap’s repeal was supported by the fiscally conservative good government group Reclaim New York Initiative.

“The amount of money they receive is not nearly as important as to how the money is made,” Reclaim New York Initiative’s Long Island director Michael Watt said. “Reclaim supports removing income limits, assuming outside income does not interfere with government duties.”