Hempstead Town Board to consider pay raises, other personnel actions at meeting Thursday

The Hempstead Town Board will consider personnel actions at its Thursday meeting that would increase salary costs for 56 people, less than two months before Supervisor-elect Joe Scianablo takes office.

The actions would include 24 raises, 11 title changes, eight part-time employees moving to full-time, six appointments from the civil service list, five new hires and two Section 65 appointments. Section 65 refers to a section of state civil service law regarding provisional appointments. 

Scianablo, a Democrat, won election Nov. 3 in an upset of Republican Town Supervisor John Ferretti and will take office in January. He will be only the second Democrat to hold the top post in town, a Republican stronghold, in more than 100 years. The current six-member board comprises five Republicans and one Democrat who serves as Ferretti's deputy supervisor.   

"Personnel actions including promotions, transfers, title changes, and leaves, occur at virtually every single board meeting," town spokesman Brian Devine said in an email. "All actions the board takes are provided for in the budget. Beyond this, the Town does not comment on personnel actions."

The town board also will consider an amendment to the collective bargaining agreement that would credit town workers with two hours of comp time for every hour of overtime earned in 2027 that is taken as comp time. 

Devine did not comment on the collective bargaining agreement. 

The Scianablo campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

In the final month of 2017, the last time a Democrat was elected Hempstead Town supervisor — Laura Gillen, who is now a congresswoman — the Republican-majority board approved 192 personnel moves.

Thursday's meeting is at 10:30 a.m. at Town Hall, 1 Washington St., Hempstead.

Check back for updates on this developing story.