Oyster Bay Town Board pays $1.2 million for new hires, raises

The Oyster Bay Town Board has hired new employees and given raises to an undisclosed number of employees for a total of $1.2 million in new salaries and salary increases.

Deputy Town Supervisor Greg Carman said on Jan. 9 that the town had hired 10 new employees, but town officials have not disclosed their names, titles or salaries.

The town board also approved raises to an undisclosed number of employees, some of whom may have been part of a “gender equity” initiative. At the Jan. 9 town board meeting, the board approved personnel resolutions with the hires and raises that were not made public even as Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and other board members praised progress toward gender equity.

“Let it be known as we have proven today that women will get equal pay for equal work in the Town of Oyster Bay,” Saladino said at the meeting.

Councilman Anthony Macagnone confirmed last week that the raises and salary increases totaled $1.2 million.

Carman said the raises came out of a review of town payroll and a comparison with other municipalities.

“I saw some deputy commissioners making say, $80,000, others making $110,000, $115,000, and it happened to be that some of the women were on the lower end of the scale,” Carman said in an interview. He said he “made some adjustments” to narrow salary disparities between male and female employees that were then approved by the board.