North Castle, Goldberg Come to Terms on New Three-Year Contract
The North Castle Town Board approved a new contract for Town Administrator Joan Goldberg last week ensuring the municipality’s first-ever administrator will remain in place for at least the next two years.
The three-year agreement, approved 4-0 by the board on Nov. 18, calls for Goldberg to receive an $8,000 raise retroactive to Sept. 28, bringing her salary to $153,000, Supervisor Michael Schiliro said.
For the contract’s second year, which begins Sept. 28, 2016, her salary will rise to $160,000. The agreement calls for the town to decide whether to pick up the option on the third year at a salary no less than $166,000.
Until the new agreement was approved, Goldberg had been paid under the terms of the expired contract.
Goldberg said after last Wednesday night’s town board meeting that she was happy to continue in the job that she started in September 2012 and was looking forward to the next couple of years and the challenge of helping the town resolve several key issues such as its road paving program and more parking for downtown Armonk.
“I think it’s really great,” she said. “I like being the first town administrator (in North Castle). You could sort of blaze your own path.”
Schiliro said there were no specific stumbling blocks that had held up a contract extension beyond working through routine issues.
In addition to her salary, other key provisions include Goldberg getting credited with 247 hours of paid time off, effective Jan. 1, according to the terms of the contract. Also, to determine the 20 years of benefit-eligible service with North Castle to qualify for retirement medical eligibility, Goldberg will receive credit for the 16 years she previously served as comptroller in Yorktown.
Goldberg arrived with much anticipation in 2012 after a previous town board had created the position of administrator but had not filled the post, however, some controversies have followed her. Goldberg left Yorktown following a run-in with Supervisor Michael Grace and the board majority and was terminated, then took about $77,000 for unused vacation time that she contended she was entitled to. She was forced to return the money after the town went to court.
In December 2013, Goldberg was terminated by the previous North Castle Town Board after being accused of misconduct. She was rehired a few weeks later. Former police chief and current police Lt. Geoffrey Harisch has also accused her of harassment.
While virtually all villages have a professional administrator or manager, the only towns in Westchester to employ an administrator are North Castle, Mamaroneck and New Castle.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
