Nassau cops got 6-figure severance packs

Nassau police officers who opted for a retirement incentive program last year walked out with a median payout of almost $338,000 each, according to County Comptroller George Maragos.

The 115 police officers who retired received the highest median severance packages of the 446 employees countywide who took advantage of the incentive program, according to a Maragos audit released Thursday.

Correction officers received a median payout of $54,000, though five took home more than $100,000. Members of the Civil Service Employees Association were paid a median of $45,000 each; 40 earned severance packages of more than $100,000.

While the program introduced by County Executive Edward Mangano cost Nassau a total of $57.5 million in termination pay, the retirement of many of the county's highest-paid workers and the resulting workforce reduction will save $28 million over 10 years; about $17 million of the savings will occur this year, Maragos said.

However, Chief Deputy County Executive Rob Walker predicted Nassau would save tens of millions of dollars more than Maragos had estimated. Walker said Mangano had planned to refill 75 percent of the vacated positions, but has decided against replacing any of the 115 retired police officers. Nor will he fill most of the CSEA positions. As a result, Walker said, the county should save $55 million in salaries this year alone.

Nonetheless, Maragos said, "The county simply cannot afford to continue paying hundreds of thousands of dollars per person in termination pay."

Maragos said employees' unused sick time and accumulated vacation days accounted for more than half the severance costs. He recommended that Nassau move toward private industry's standard for sick and vacation time of "use it or lose it" each calendar year.

The estimated savings come as Nassau faces a $176-million deficit for 2011, according to a state watchdog. Mangano maintains his budget is balanced.

Mangano offered the incentive program last year to reduce the county payroll. Employees were eligible for a payout of $1,500 a year for every year of service. A cap that had limited police severance to twice an officer's salary also was lifted temporarily. Maragos found that lifting the police cap added $11.2 million to the county costs while the incentive cost $8.9 million.

James Carver, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said last year's high payouts were "an anomaly" that are unlikely to occur again.