Cortland
County Legislators Vote for a Pay Raise But Questions Remain.
Cortland County Pay Plan, September 24, 2015 Meeting.
On motion of Whitney, agenda item no. 23, Increase Annual Legislative Compensation - Cortland County Legislature.
WHEREAS, the Cortland County Legislature is currently paid $6,000 per year, per
Legislator, with the Chairman receiving $15,000 and the Majority and Minority
Leaders receiving $6,500, AND
WHEREAS, the above salary has remained the same for 25 years (1991 was raised
from $5,000 to $6,000), AND
WHEREAS, over the course of those 25 years additional compensation and/or
benefits have been withdrawn, such as monthly meeting stipends ($25 per
meeting), and eligibility to participate in the County Health/Dental/Vision
insurance plan, AND
WHEREAS, the Cortland County Budget & Finance Committee recommends an
increase in salary for Legislators beginning in 2016, and an annual increase matching that of the Management
Compensation Plan, NOW THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Director of Budget & Finance, as Budget Officer, shall
hereby include a Legislative salary of $10,000 per legislator, $19,000 for the
Chairman and $10,500 for Majority and Minority Leaders in the 2016 budget, AND
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that effective January 1, 2017 any annual salary adjustment of
Legislators shall match that provided to employees covered under the Management
Compensation Plan.
The
Cortland Contrarian suggests that
legislators review Local Law No. 6 for the year 1971, which has not been
rescinded, or amended. It was in force when the September 24, 2015 vote
was
recorded. Annual raises
suggested in Resolution 23 may be subject to an Article
78 challenge in Supreme Court.
LOCAL LAW NO. 6 FOR THE YEAR 1971.
A
Local Law Regarding Effective Date of Board of Supervisors or County
Legislators’ Salaries.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF CORTLAND AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1: Legislative intent. It is the
expressed purpose and intent of this Local Law to provide that an election of
supervisors or county legislators intervene between the time that the salary of
supervisors or county legislators is approved by the legislative body and the
time said adjustment becomes effective.
Section 2: Section 200 of the County Law of
the State of New York provides that the Board of Supervisors of a county shall
have power from time to time to fix the compensation of its members for
services rendered to the county.
Section 3: The County Law does not expressly
provide nor prohibit that an election of legislators intervene between the time
that a legislative salary or expense adjustment is approved and the time said
adjustment becomes effective.
Section 4: Therefore, be it enacted by this
Board of Supervisors that an election of Supervisors or County Legislators
shall intervene between the time that a legislative salary is approved by the
legislators and the time said adjustment becomes effective.
Section 5: This Local Law shall take effect
immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment