Overtime Costs Hit Putnam Hard Over Summer Months
Recent special events within Putnam County, some private, some public, have resulted in hefty overtime costs during the summer months this year, as discussed at a July 28 Audit Committee meeting.
The most controversial one, the Tilly Foster Country Fair, initiated by the county executive office resulted in an overtime cost of close to $12,000 for the deputies that worked the four-day event for the county’s Sheriff ’s Department and a little more than $7,000 for the Highway and Facilities department said Finance Commissioner Bill Carlin, according to an article in The Journal News.
Additionally, the Fourth of July fireworks in Southeast resulted in a total overtime cost of more than $24,000 for the work of the county Sheriff’s Office, in which undersheriff Peter Convery said between 12,000 and 15,000 people were in the town, including at Tilly Foster—for the display.
“There was a very good sense of security. I think that’s very important,” Convery said. “We have a responsibility.”
While Legislator Sam Oliverio lauded the exceptional work of the sheriff ’s department, he claimed the costs associated with the fireworks would
have been much less if deputies weren’t balancing the fireworks display and the carnival at Tilly Foster at the same time.
“If it was just that one day event, just the fireworks, the requirement that was placed upon our deputies, our emergency services would not have existed if that carnival were not there,” he said. “I believe that emphatically.”
Other legislators and the county executive office have defended having the inaugural country fair at the Southeast farm as away to reintroduce Tilly Foster back to county residents and improve the quality of life in Putnam.
Legislator Joe Castellano said he hopes the fireworks are held a day before the holiday as a way to reduce expenses next year because deputies are paid double overtime for working on a national holiday.
The revenue for the fair was 19,796, but the total lost for the county was close to $14,669, which includes the overtime.
Another major event, that occurred in Cold Spring and resulted in overtime expenses, was the wedding of Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who lives in the village. The wedding, which took place on June 21, resulted in $7,575 in overtime for the sheriff ’s department.
The guest list for the high profile wedding included names like Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, New York senators Chuck Schumer, and Kirsten Gillibrand, Governor Andrew Cuomo and even Bill and Hilary Clinton, though the political power couple did not attend.
Maloney did not ask for the sheriff’s office to work the wedding, but Capital Police made the request, Convery said.
Legislator Dini LoBue wants either Maloney or the federal government to reimburse the county for the private event that resulted in taxpayer dollars being used.
“I don’t have a problem asking anybody,” she said.
