Roll Back The Raises Rally

Roll Back The Raises (RBR) campaigners took to the steps of Hempstead Town Hall Feb. 2 to rally against what they call "illegal pay raises" Supervisor Kate Murray and the town board gave themselves back in December.

The all-volunteer organization kicked off a petition drive last month to put a referendum question on the Nov. 2 election ballot so taxpayers can decide whether the elected officials should get their raises.

A total of 25,000 signatures are need; RBR members say thousands have already been collected.

Tuesday's rally called into question the public notice that the Town of Hempstead published prior to the vote. Campaigners served the town with legal notice on Jan. 29 regarding "legal defects in the public notices." 

"The raises are considered illegal because state law is very specific in requiring that the public be given notice of their right to call for a referendum to oppose the kind of self dealing by which public officials increase their own salaries," said  Henry Boitel, a Rockville Centre resident and an RBR campaign organizer. "The Town Council and supervisor sought to evade that notice requirement by passing resolutions in the twilight of their existing terms and after they knew they had been re-elected to new terms. They were clearly voting on their own salaries on December 15th, in the midst of the December holidays."

Boitel continued, "The legally required notice was not published until eight days later, on December 23. To the extent that they did give notice, they misquoted the notice provision so as to omit the very notice the law requires. The notice gave no indication that it relates to a salary increase or the amount of that increase, thus failing to give notice of 'purpose and effect' that the law requires."

According to a statement released by the Town of Hempstead, all applicable laws were followed in notifying the public of a town board hearing on salary adjustments for elected officials: "There was a public hearing on the salary adjustments. It was the subject of a public notice in Newsday in advance of the Town Board's meeting on the issue." 

RBR campaigners sought to get a copy of the statute but were told they would have to file a written application to see it and would have to wait at least five days. 

"At this time of great financial suffering exceeded only by the great depression, the public needs our representatives to cut spending and lower taxes. Giving themselves a pay increase while many lose their homes and jobs is a slap in the face," said Merrick resident Derek Donnelly, an RBR campaign organizer.

Bellmore resident Robert Young noted that between 2006-2010, town officials gave themselves approximately 30 percent pay increases. "It is egregious that the town would give themselves raises in a time of economic hardship for some many residents. We are here today to demand that the town cancel their recent pay raises at once," Young said.

Hempstead Town board members approved pay raises for themselves and Town Clerk Mark Bonilla. Supervisor Murray's salary jumped seven percent from $140,000 to $150,000 (full-time); Bonilla's salary spiked 10 percent from $95,500 to $106,500 (full-time); and the salaries of the six remaining Town Board members also increased seven percent from $61,500 to $66,000 (part-time).

According to Town spokesperson Susan Trenkle-Pokalsky, public officials deserve to be fairly compensated for their work.

"Members of the Hempstead Town Board work hard for the township's 765,000 residents. Together they have frozen all town taxes for 2010 while cutting government spending by 3 percent. What's more, Hempstead has earned the highest Wall Street credit ratings available. In short, America's largest township is a model of efficient and cost effective operations," she said. "The supervisor and board members received what amounts to approximately a 3.5 percent salary increase per year over a two-year period."