Suffolk election chief seeks more authority to raise wages

Suffolk Board of Elections commissioners would get increased authority to issue raises for employees under a proposal that a legislative committee will consider Wednesday.

Republican Election Commissioner Nicholas LaLota, who is pushing for the change, says the raises would create a merit system at the board.

“It helps promote a better businesslike atmosphere,” LaLota said.

County Democratic Chairman Richard Schaffer called the proposal, “an accident waiting to happen.”

Schaffer said the idea was “well intentioned,” but warned that, “there are going to be accusations of either punishing people you don’t like or rewarding people that may not necessarily be entitled to it.”

There are currently only four different salary levels for hourly employees at the Board of Elections.

Under the proposed law, there would be 58 different job titles that employees could move to at the two election commissioners’ discretion.

Democratic Election Commissioner Anita Katz said she had no plans to change salaries for the Democratic employees, who make up half of the board workforce.

LaLota already has awarded seven employees who each make less than $68,000 a year raises of about $3,000 each, retroactive to Feb. 29. The money to pay for the raises comes from leaving open vacant positions, he said.

Overall costs to the county would remain at or below the level set by the legislature and county executive, under the bill sponsored by presiding officer DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) and Minority Leader Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst).

Both Nassau and Suffolk election boards are staffed with political appointees and employ party leaders and members of elected officials’ families, records show.

Suffolk’s Board of Elections has avoided staff cuts over the past five years, even as the overall number of county employees decreased by 1,100 employees, or nearly 11 percent. Nassau added 32 full-time positions since 2011 — a 25 percent increase.

Salaries at Suffolk’s board have held steady, unlike at the Nassau Board of Elections, which has awarded a series of raises to prominent leaders over the past three years.

Paul Sabatino, a former Suffolk deputy county executive and legislative counsel, said giving raises to Board of Elections employees “shows a total insensitivity to what is happening not only to taxpayers, but other county employees.” Sabatino noted that the county faces a structural deficit of more than $100 million.

Traditionally, Board of Election employees have not gotten raises higher than those negotiated for other county employees by the county’s largest employee union, the Association of Municipal Employees.

LaLota said despite past practice, state law already gives him the authority to give raises to election board employees.

County Personnel Director Alan Schneider said that without new legislation the county payroll system can’t process raises at the election board.

By David M. Schwartz

dschwar1@newsday.comschwartznewsNY

David Schwartz covers environmental issues. A native Long Islander, he's worked at Newsday since 2013.