Nassau adds time for military members to repay benefits

A Nassau County police officer who has been called to active Marine Corps duty three times since 9/11 thanked the county legislature Monday for extending the time he has to repay benefits his family received while he was away.

Like other local counties, Nassau makes up the difference between military pay and the salary of any county worker called to active duty. The employees may collect both their military and county salaries while on duty, but must later repay Nassau whichever amount is smaller.

On Monday, after Master Gunnery Sgt. James DuPont spoke briefly, the legislature extended the time for repayment to 10 years, compared with the two years allowed under current policy.

"Halfway through my first deployment my wife left her job because of the strain on the family life," DuPont told lawmakers. "Knowing my loved ones are taken care of means the world to me. I will be forever grateful."

The legislature voted in 2002 to make up the difference between military pay and the salary of any county worker called to active duty in the National Guard or Reserves.

Many returning service members face financial difficulty because their spouses lost their jobs while trying to care for their family, according to Pete Paterson, first vice president of the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association.

"The reserves are coming back after a tour of duty and getting reacclimated to civilian life, reuniting with their families, getting back to work. This just reduces the stress and the financial burden they're bearing," Paterson said.

Suffolk County allows reservists to collect their county and military salaries, and gives them two years to repay the lesser amount.

New York City allowed reservists to collect both salaries and to repay the lesser amount within 10 years until November 2008, when it switched to paying reservists a stipend for the difference between their military and city salaries.

DuPont, a 15-year police veteran, is assigned to the Third Precinct.

In other actions Monday the legislature:

Voted to bar the lease of county parkland to private firms to operate day camps. The bill was sponsored by Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa), who said public parks should be for the benefit of all county residents.

Voted to repeal a local law requiring chain fast food restaurants to post calorie content, saying it had been pre-empted by new federal legislation that was part of health reform.

With Rick Brand