TROY — Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin has proposed a 12 percent increase in the county salary for one of his chief Republican political operatives, according to the county’s tentative budget for 2020.

The $10,000 raise for Jim Gordon, the director of central services, has drawn bipartisan concern from members of the County Legislature.

Gordon recently caught public attention for his profanity-laced tirade recorded in an Oct. 7 meeting in which he, McLaughlin and other GOP operatives pushed Republican Troy mayoral candidate Thomas Reale to drop out of the race. It was part of an unsuccessful effort to get Green-Independence candidate Rodney Wiltshire, an enrolled Democrat, elected in place of incumbent Democratic Mayor Patrick Madden.

Warning: This audio recording contains profanity.

Reale subsequently dropped out of the race but re-entered it a week before Election Day, denouncing the pressure campaign leveled against him.

Under McLaughlin's proposal, Gordon’s salary would increase to $93,000 from $83,000. That’s nearly seven times the 1.75 percent raise the average county worker is slated to receive.

Legislative leaders of both parties said the pay increase for Gordon appeared excessive.

“We have no commitment to any of the raises yet,” said Legislature Chairman Michael Stammel, R-Rensselaer, adding that some members of the Republican majority are specifically questioning Gordon’s proposed boost.

“There are red flags for us; there are questions,” said Minority Leader Peter Grimm, D-Troy.

“On our side, there’s real concern about the $10,000 — especially in light of what’s happened,” said Legislator Mark Flemming, another Troy Democrat, referring to the audiotape of the Oct. 7 meeting obtained by the Times Union.

Gordon can be heard on the recording berating Reale alongside McLaughlin — who at one point describes himself as the "boss" of the county GOP — and Richard Crist, the county director of operations and a longtime Republican operative, as well as former U.S. Rep. John Sweeney.

After the meeting, Crist and Gordon attended a Wiltshire fundraiser. Gordon — who served on the Troy City Council with Wiltshire when he was council president and lost his own 2015 mayoral bid to Madden and Wiltshire — later attended a Spectrum News mayoral debate with Wiltshire.

Previous coverage:

Timing, perception factors in Troy race

Madden wins Troy mayoral race

Rensselaer Dem call McLaughlin's comments on Reale 'outrageous'

McLaughlin: I'm the 'boss' of Rensselaer County

Despite the delegation's demand that Reale both suspend his campaign and endorse Wiltshire, he never endorsed the third-party candidate. Madden was re-elected on Tuesday.

McLaughlin’s staff explained Gordon's raise by claiming he was taking on additional duties.

“With the exception of the Director, for whom a salary increase above 1.75 percent was requested and approved based upon increased responsibilities, salaries of the department’s management personnel have also been increase 1.75 percent over 2019 year-end levels,” the tentative budget summary states.

Asked to explain the increased responsibilities and how they merited a $10,000 for Gordon, Crist forwarded another budget memo. No details about the increased job responsibilities for Gordon were provided, but the document said the additional responsibilities for overseeing the county IT department led to a “$10,000 adjustment to the Director’s salary."

The central services office handles the county’s purchasing and procurement.

McLaughlin’s salary remains at $121,300 for 2020; it can’t be raised while he’s in office. Crist’s salary would rise 3.5 percent — double the proposed raise for rank-and-file employees — to $108,754 from $105,046, according to the tentative budget.

The County Legislature will hold a public hearing on the tentative budget from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at the county office building.