Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn defended his request for a $37,000 pay raise at a meeting of the County Legislature’s Ways and Means committee Thursday night.
The raise is part of County Executive Maggie Brooks’ proposed 2014 budget, unveiled in November.
O’Flynn says traditionally the Sheriff’s wage has been ‘aligned’ with that of the county District Attorney (DA). Since the DA’s wage rose to $174,000 per year in 2013, he says, it’s only fair his goes up too.
“The sheriff and the DA are equally responsible for public safety in this community and therefore have been, and should be, equally compensated,” O’Flynn says.
However, Legislature minority leader Carrie Andrews, along with fellow democrats, made it clear they don’t support the move.
“Over 100,000 families in our county live on less than $35,000 a year. So, the salary increase that you’re asking for, for one year, is more than almost 40 percent of families in this community make.”
Additionally, Andrews says, the 27 percent raise requested in the budget would make O’Flynn’s salary far larger than that of County Executive Maggie Brooks.
It would also mean he’s earning more than other Sheriffs in the state, including those in Erie, Onondaga, and Albany counties.
“What is your rationale for justifying your increase based on what Sheriffs are paid across New York state, who perform similar duties and in some cases serve far more people?”
This was one of many questions O’Flynn faced from Democrats. He maintains he is just seeking what he’s entitled to.
“Nearly 40 percent of the Sheriffs in the state receive a pension and their salary. I did not do that, I chose not to and I’m just looking to have fair compensation at this point,” O’Flynn says.
O’Flynn’s wage was set at 90 percent of the DA’s until a last minute amendment to the 2012 county budget set them as equal.
However, there is disagreement on whether or not the amendment was intended to be permanent.
Democrat Carrie Andrews says it was not.
“It was stated quite clearly that your salary was not going to be pegged to the DA’s salary, that was the position maintained by the administration, and maintained by legislators on the other side of the isle. This was not intended to be something that tied your salary to the DA’s salary,” she said while addressing O’Flynn in Thursday’s meeting.
However, O’Flynn maintains that was always the deal.
“It has been traditionally attached to the DA’s salary, so that was the expectation that I definitely had.”
The legislature will vote on the budget on Tuesday night. Democrats are urging their Republican counterparts to join them in voting against the raise.