Orangetown Approves Police Management Contracts

The Orangetown Council voted, 3-1, to approve new four-year contracts for Orangetown Police Chief Kevin Nulty, Captain Robert Zimmerman and Captain Donald Butterworth.

Supervisor Andy Stewart and Councilmen Tom Morr and Paul Valentine voted in favor of the new deals, which are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2011 and expire Dec. 31, 2014. Councilman Tom Diviny voted against all three and Councilman Denis Troy was absent due to a county hearing.

Valentine said the raises were comparable to the deal with the PBA in June. Diviny said it was not necessary to give comparable raises to Nulty, Zimmerman and Butterworth, who each have separate contracts. The PBA contract could have gone to binding arbitration, which would not happen with management contracts. He added that he was concerned that the deal could complicate ongoing negotiations with the CSEA. 

"The PBA was settled because we (faced) binding arbitration," Diviny said. "The mandate relief (the state) gave us is management does not have to get the same raises the PBA does. That was the mandate relief (Governor Andrew) Cuomo gave us. They have always made adequate salaries in this town. We don't need to give that raise."

"Mandate relief on three individuals when we are forced to settle with 90 individuals is more of Cuomo's games," Valentine said. "That isn't really mandate relief. Mandate relief would be to get rid of binding arbitration. He didn't do that."

Diviny also specifically questioned the raise given to Zimmerman.

"The rest of the board is giving Captain Zimmerman a nice retirement package on his way out even though he's been compensated adequately during the time he has served," Diviny said. 

Stewart said it was important to get these contracts done rather than hold them up to wait on the CSEA negotiations, which could still take some time. 

"For the most part, they got exactly what the PBA got," Valentine said. "There is no big golden parachute. It was minimal at best. I think it's the right thing to do. We have to get this settled. The department got raises, but the people in charge didn't. At some point that becomes lopsided because the people underneath almost end up making more than the people in charge."

Morr said that giving raises to the rest of the department but not to management could send the wrong message. 

"Lest anybody think we are giving away the store, the raises are 2.5 percent or less per year," Morr said. "It's not a huge sum of money we are giving them. I think not settling with management of the department, it could undermine their authority. As in any business, people look to the leaders of the department and see how they are treated to see what support they are given."

The board also voted establish the position of Human Resources Coordinator and promote Donna Morrison from the Supervisor's office to fill it at a salary of $79,672. The move did not create an additional job. It takes the place of the personnel position previously filled by Eileen Schlag. The creation of the new job title was unanimous, but the vote to promote Morrison was 3-1 with Valentine opposed. 

"This one is near and dear to me because I have worked with her for a year and a half," Stewart said. "It has been a great pleasure and very productive. (The salary) is one step above where she is now. She continues to serve the town in a new way."

Check back with Patch for more from Tuesday's meeting.