More Than 20 Cortlandt Employees to Earn Six Figures in 2021
More than 20 Town of Cortlandt employees will be earning a base salary of more than $100,000 in 2021 as part of an annual resolution passed by the Town Board in December.
The top town wage earner is Cortlandt Supervisor Linda Puglisi at $179,528. Puglisi is beginning the last year of her 30-year run as the town’s chief executive. She announced in November that she will be retiring in 2021.
Second on the salary ladder is Michael Preziosi, director of the Department of Technical Services, at $178,007, followed by Stephen Ferreira, director of the Department of Environmental Services, at $170,048.
Town Comptroller Patricia Robcke secures the fourth spot at $168,431, while Brent Van Zandt, deputy director of the Department of Environmental Services, holds the fifth position at $162,514.
Longtime Town Attorney Thomas Wood is next in line at $152,988. Christopher Kehoe, deputy director of the Department of Technical Services, is the seventh highest paid town employee at $150,841, which combines his salary of $136,712 with annual stipends for being the Local Waterfront Revitalization Project Coordinator ($5,136), Planning Board Meetings Coordinator ($4,686) and Zoning Board of Appeals Advisor ($4,307).
Rounding out the top 10 are John Palmiotto, director of the Department of Recreation and Conservation, at $143,825, Town Assessor Thomas Waitkins at $140,176, and Mary Breining, receiver of taxes, at $140,000. Breining is slated to retire in 2021.
Arthur D’Angelo, Jr., deputy director of the Department of Technical Services, who earns $134,615, plus an extra $5,125 as road paving coordinator, holds the 11th spot. Close behind in the 12th position is Michelle Robbins, senior assistant planner, at $139,704, and Peter McMillan, director of purchasing/systems technician, at $138,400, which combines a stipend for being technical director.
The next seven highest earners are: Martin Rogers, director of Code Enforcement, at $134,615; Michael Cunningham, deputy town attorney and claims administrator, at $128,389; Claudia Vahey, human resources administrator at Drug Free/EAP coordinator, at $128,310; Rosemary Boyle-Lasher, assistant director of the Department of Technical Services, and a former town councilwoman, at $115,113; Catherine Brosnan, assistant civil engineer, at $114,753; Town Clerk and Registrar of Vital Statistics Laroue Shatzkin at $111,655; and John Schembari, assistant building inspector, at $107,343.
Also cracking the six-figure mark are Kenneth Hoch, assistant director of the Department of Technical Services, at $105,373, and Kenneth Sherman, assistant recreation superintendent, at $100,767.
The town’s two elected town justices, Kimberly Ragazzo and Maritza Fugaro-Norton, will each earn $49,594.
The four town councilmembers each receive $27,450. Dr. Richard Becker receives an extra $2,563 as deputy supervisor and $1,538 as liaison to personnel matters, while Frank Farrell receives an extra $2,563 as liaison to LWRP and GIS.
Planning Board Chairman Loretta Taylor receives an annual stipend of $6,979, while the other six appointed members receive $5,243.
Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman David Douglas receives an annual stipend of $5,017, while the other six appointed members receive $3,904.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/