Water agency's chief may stay on as consultant

Suffolk Water Authority's chief executive officer Stephen Jones is retiring next month from his $172,458-a-year post. But the agency's board votes Monday night whether to give Jones, a Republican, a $49,000 contract for seven months to provide "professional assistance with source water protection strategies, watershed planning goals and other corporate activities." Suffolk Legis. Vivian Viloria-Fisher (D-East Setauket), who heads her chamber's environmental committee, said, "I want to take a close look at why we need to pay for retirement and consultant at such a high level. We should just do a search for a CEO and find someone with the same stellar credentials as Steve."

- Rick Brand