Comptroller halts pay raise for Levy aides

Suffolk Comptroller Joseph Sawicki Tuesday blocked pay raises for three aides to County Executive Steve Levy -- including his former political operative -- a move Levy said was prompted by his refusal to OK promotions for two Sawicki auditors.

Sawicki informed Levy in a letter that the aides' raises would not be included in Thursday's paychecks nor would his office pay the salary of a fourth aide, a newly hired $65,000 a year accountant in Levy's budget office.

The clash is the latest skirmish in an ongoing war between Levy and other county elected officials, who earlier this year got the county legislature to enact a law allowing them to fill jobs and give promotions without Levy's approval. Levy, citing a $179-million budget hole, has blocked several hirings and promotions, leaving the final decision to the county legislature.

"If he's saying there is a budget deficiency then no one should be hired," said Sawicki. "I'm just making sure it applies to everyone including Levy." Despite the crunch, Sawicki said Levy has filled 115 jobs since January, costing $4.5 million.

Levy said Sawicki's action was a "blatantly illegal maneuver to get leverage to get more positions in his department." The county executive added that he had filled only a fraction of more than 500 vacancies because of the county's fiscal woes.

Sawicki countered that Levy rejected promotions for his auditors in retaliation for their audits of ethics commission executive director Alfred Lama and fired labor aide Lawrence Cooley.

Sawicki blocked a nearly $20,000 pay raise for Steven Tricarico, who took leaves this year and last to work on Levy's ill-fated gubernatorial campaign and his short-lived re-election bid. Tricarico returned to the payroll April 4 as a $54,079 a year legislative liaison in the county attorney's office.

Earlier this month, Levy authorized a nine-step pay jump, raising his salary to $73,341. Two days later, Levy made him a county executive assistant III at $73,445.