The Democrats on the Board of Legislators continue to circumvent county laws by refusing to establish a biennial, citizen Compensation Advisory Board which is called for in the Westchester County Charter. The Charter requires the volunteer advisory board to review the financial compensation of Legislators and to advise if they believe extant economic conditions warrant either raising or lowering Legislators pay. The Compensation Advisory Board is charged with reviewing the compensation that Legislators receive as their base pay ($49,200) as well as expenses and stipends for things like serving in caucus leadership positions and for chairing various committees. The stipends pay between $3000 and $9000 annually. The Stipend for Board of Legislators Chairman is $40,000 annually.
It is interesting if not ironic that Chairman Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers), in this term, chose to break with a decades-old tradition of appointing a bipartisan set of committee chairs instead he rewarded only Democrats with committee chairmanships. Denying every single one of his Republican colleagues a committee leadership position was so important to Jenkins that he even went so far as to dissolve the committee that dealt with issues confronting seniors (Generational, Cultural and Ethnic Diversity) which had been ably-chaired by Legislator Bernice Spreckman (R-Yonkers) for fifteen years. While shutting the Republicans out of committee leadership, Jenkins appointed two Democrats who had only become Legislators a few weeks before, to such critical posts as chair of Public Safety and Security and chair of Government Operations. Committee chairs receive stipends ranging from $3000-$6000.
At the regular Board of Legislator’s meeting on Monday March 26, 2012. the Republican Caucus Whip, Legislator Gordon Burrows (R-Bronxville), moved to delay action on the Democrats vote to ignore the charter’s directive. The vote was “held over” until the next scheduled Board of Legislators meeting on April 16th.
Legislator Burrows said, “I felt compelled to delay the Democrats attempt to vote down the citizen advisory board because I hope that we still may be able to convince them that engaging the public on an issue like our own compensation is just good government. It’s at the very heart of our shared objective of better government accountability and transparency.” Burrows added, “We have nothing to hide. Why not engage these citizen volunteers? Clearly there is no chance of us taking pay raises during this halting economic recovery but I don’t think we should only convene the Compensation Advisory Board when we want them to recommend raises. We need to seek their counsel as often as is feasible and on the schedule that the County charter dictates.”
Legislator Sheila Marcotte (R-Eastchester) who serves as vice chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee and was the only Legislator to vote in committee to impanel the advisory board said, “The Democrats have not convened this citizen advisory panel since 2008, when they proposed hefty raises for Legislators and a compensation package of almost six-figures for the Board Chairman. While the advisory panel did suggest that a raise might be appropriate at that time, that doesn’t mean that another panel would feel similarly today.” Marcotte added, “We have been through a devastating economic crisis we have made cuts throughout county government including, sadly, job reductions and we are facing ballooning pension costs in the next couple years. I want to hear from folks, outside of government, about what they think our compensation levels should be in THIS economic climate. I want them to know that we care what they think as well.” Legislator Marcotte concluded, “Refusing to hear from the public on this issue sends the wrong message. I hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will rethink their position and join me in considering the feedback from our county residents on an issue so basic as what they think we deserve to be paid.”