BALLSTON SPA – Saratoga County’s director of human resources who came up with the 50 percent pandemic pay raise for essential employees is both a beneficiary of the plan as well as a judge of its worthiness.

Marcy McNamara, who SeeThroughNY.org shows earning $119,000 in 2019, is taking in time-and-a-half pay for the first 35 hours she works each week. She also sits on the five-person committee reviewing its merits.

Based on a recording of the March 17 Law and Finance Committee meeting, the idea was recommended to create a time-and-a-half incentive for management and employees by McNamara because it "creates a better, more manageable situation so everyone is not faking sick” during the county’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Without it, she said, “you would get half of the staff saying they need to be on leave" to care for children and "it's an employee relations move, we wouldn't have staff in the offices."

An initial estimate provided by Saratoga County is that the raise would cost the county up to $325,000 per week. That number is now lower as soem employees have elected to remove themselves from the extra pay structure.

McNamara did not return emails and a phone call from the Times Union to answer questions about the time-and-a-half approval, and the 50 percent pay raise she also appears to be receiving.

When Moreau Supervisor Todd Kusnierz balked at the idea in the meeting, McNamara said “every municipality is doing it” including Saratoga Springs, Greenfield, Malta, Wilton. However, none of those communities are paying their workers time-and-a-half for regular hours. Wilton Supervisor John Lant said that is not the case in his town. Greenfield Supervisor Daniel Pemrick said he is not paying his employees time-and-a-half either.

Malta Supervisor Darren O’Connor said that McNamara’s claims are “completely and utterly wrong….I can’t imagine where she got that idea.”

Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan said she was equally baffled by McNamara’s statement.

“Any overtime requires pre-approval and I’ve asked that be only in extreme circumstances,” Madigan said. “I’m not sure what they are thinking, but payroll is a finance function and no one from the county has reached out to me to inquire about how we are paying employees and I can tell you no one is making time-and-a-half.”

She also told the committee that the plan was a “unionized decision” and that she had to “negotiate who is essential and who is not essential.”

A spokeswoman for Region 4 CSEA, the union that represents about 600 of the county's 1,232 employees, said the time-and-a-half plan was “unsolicited" by the union. However, it was appreciated.

“Essential workers appreciate the recognition of the valuable work they are doing to keep vital county services going during this time,” said Therese Assalian of CSEA Communications. “And, we know county residents appreciate the services, too.”

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Regardless, McNamara is reviewing the effectiveness of the plan weekly with fellow compensation committee members: Pemrick, Chair of the Board of Supervisors Preston Allen, Saratoga Supervisor Tom Wood and County Administrator Spencer Hellwig.

Salaried employees who are getting time-and-a-half this week

Name Title 2019 Salary Chad Cooke Deputy County Administrator $130,897 Keith Manz Commissioner of Public Works $129,138 Michael Prezioso Commissioner Of Mental Health And Addiction Services $119,039 Marcy McNamara Director of Human Resources $119,002 Richard Castle Undersheriff $115,986 Thomas Speziale Deputy Commissioner Of Public Works $115,260 Glenn Sheehy Chief Deputy Sheriff $104,003 Catherine Duncan Director of Public Health $103,999 Patrick Maxwell Deputy Commissioner Of Social Services $100,649

Source: Saratoga County and SeeThroughNY.org

During the first week of the pay bump, Hellwig said he was getting the time and a half. (According to SeeThroughNY he earned $163,603 in 2019.) Last week’s review resulted in dropping Hellwig from the pandemic pay list, which Hellwig initially estimated will cost the county in total $325,000 a week. The cost, however, has been further reduced as the number of employees and managers on the time-and-a-half list went down to 340 employees. The committee also decided to pay salaried employees overtime for their first 35 hours only, not for every hour they work.

For those nearing retirement, the pay raise during the pandemic will also benefit them in perpetuity. According to the state Office of the Comptroller, all pay, including salary, differentials and overtime, are “pensionable earnings” and can make a difference in the final tally of a state pension.

All this is raising the ire of several supervisors. On Thursday, 10 of the 23 elected officials sent a letter sent to Allen to demand a special meeting to end the authority of the compensation committee. Penned by Clifton Park Supervisor Jonathan Schopf, it was signed by fellow supervisors Eric Connolly of Ballston, Phil Barrett of Clifton Park, Kevin Tollisen of Halfmoon, Benny Zlotnick of Milton, Tara Gaston and Matthew Veitch, both of Saratoga Springs, as well as Kuznierz, Lant and O’Connor.

The supervisors said the meeting should be scheduled “as soon as practicable" to restore "the Board of Supervisors as the collective body being the sole authority of setting of compensation levels of all county employees.”