The highest-paid St John’s Riverside Hospital Officers, directors and trustees working in 2017. To be included, individuals must have been employed at this tax-exempt organization that filled out a Form 990 for 2017. The lists include officers, trustees, directors and employees reported by each institution.
Title
Cash Compensation
Ronald Corti
president and chief executive
$792,712
Donna McGregor
executive vice president and chief operating officer
$517,168
Dennis Keane
vice president, finance, and chief financial officer
$480,707
Paul Antonecchia, M.D.
vice president, medical affairs, and chief medical officer
New York launches single web form for all Freedom of Information Law requests for 59 state agencies, that previously required sending emails or letters to each agency individually.
Transparency laws have always been a bit two-faced — they make the government’s information available, but often at the expense of time and money from the person seeking it. A new website announced by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday could go a long way to reverse that trend, providing a single form for making state Freedom of Information Law, or FOIL, requests across the 59 state government agencies.
The website is called Open FOIL NY and the governor’s office says it’s the first site in the nation to provide an online form allowing users to select multiple agencies for a single request. If the website succeeds, it could provide a more convenient option than the current process for FOIL requests in New York, which is to mail or email the “records access officer” of each agency. And the answer to how much a requests costs is usually, ” it depends .”
The website is an addition to a relatively expansive transparency portfolio led by the state’s Office of Information Technology Services, or ITS. Open NY contains a growing host of transparency initiatives that includes an open data portal , health data portal , and budget portal .
New York’s chief information officer, Robert Samson, said in a press release that the new website is another example of how the state is “employing modern practices to promote efficiency and transparency.”
Beyond the public portal, the governor’s office has also announced plans to roll out new software, developed by ITS, that improves both the state’s backend for records requests and the public user experience.
New software that state agencies can use to process public records requests more easily will roll out over the next 12 months, according to the governor’s office. Agency websites will also be updated for “a more user-friendly interface” and to ensure consistency across agencies. An online tracking system, scheduled for launch in 2019, will provide users an account-based interface for submitting, tracking and receiving digital records.
In 2015, the Center for Public Integrity gave New York state a D-minus grade for transparency and accountability, though the grade derives heavily from an “unending string of scandals” and opaque accountability processes in Albany, and not explicitly from a shortage of freely available datasets.
In many states, making freedom-of-information requests remains a frustrating process with inconsistent results. Several third-party tools have been developed to overcome the problem, such as FOIA Machine, but these frequently are poorly supported and likewise have inconsistent results.
Cuomo says the state’s new website, though, will build on the success of Open NY and take a “giant leap forward, bringing the Freedom of Information Law into the 21st century.”
Andrea Stewart-Cousins is an American politician and educator from Yonkers, New York. A member of the Democratic Party, Stewart-Cousins represents District 35 in the New York State Senate. She serves as the body’s Majority Leader
Stewart-Cousins was born in 1951 in Yonkers, New York. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Pace University and her teaching credentials in Business Education from Lehman College.
She received her Masters of Public Administration from Pace University in May 2008 and is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the public administration honor society.
She spent twenty years in the private sector, including thirteen years in sales and marketing with New York Telephone.
She also pursued a career in journalism and teaching before entering public service.
Stewart-Cousins’s public service career began in 1992, when she was appointed as the Director of Community Affairs in the City of Yonkers.
Stewart-Cousins was married to the late Thomas Cousins.
Shelley Mayer is a Democratic member of the New York State Senate representing the 37th Senate District, which includes portions of Westchester County. Formerly a member of the New York State Assembly, Mayer was first elected in a special election in 2018
Prior to her election to public office, Mayer was a Senior Counsel at the National State Attorney General Program at Columbia University, where she focused on health care and labor law rights.
From 2007 until early 2011, Shelley worked as Chief Counsel to the New York State Senate Conference in Albany.
From 1982 to 1994, Mayer served as an Assistant Attorney General in the office of New York Attorney General Bob Abrams.
In 2006, Mayer made her first run for public office, losing a bid for the New York State Assembly to incumbent Republican Mike Spano, who later became the mayor of Yonkers.
Mayer was elected to the State Senate in a special election held on April 24, 2018 after the office was vacated by Westchester County Executive George Latimer. Mayer appeared on the Democratic, Working Families, and Women’s Equality Party lines and won by a margin of 57% to 43%.
Mayer lives in Yonkers with her husband, Lee Smith, with whom she has three adult children.
In 2018, despite the district being deemed competitive by pundits, Mayer was unopposed for a full-term. With Democrats retaking the majority.
The state Senate’s 37th District had long been a target of state Republicans, who’ve spent big in consecutive elections trying to pry the seat from Democrats
Active registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 83,194 to 52,544 in the district.
The 37th District includes parts of Yonkers, White Plains and New Rochelle as well as Bedford, North Castle, Harrison, Rye and Mamaroneck.
He was elected as a Democrat from The Bronx in New York City. In 1987 and 1988, he was convicted in two separate corruption trials, and he resigned from Congress in 1988.
Biaggi defeated Klein in what amounted to a major upset.
Senate District 34 covers the Riverdale, Pelham Bay, Throggs Neck, City Island, Morris Park, Middletown, Hart Island, Hunts Point, Eastchester, parts of Castle Hill and parts of Westchester Square.
David Carlucci is a member of the New York State Senate representing the 38th district, which includes all of Rockland County and parts of Westchester County. A Democrat, Carlucci was a member of the state’s Independent Democratic Conference from its formation in 2011 until its 2018 dissolution
After graduating from Cornell, Carlucci worked as a financial planner for American Express from 2002 to 2003 and later worked in Congressman Eliot Engel‘s office as a staff assistant from 2004 to 2005.
He then was elected as town clerk for the community of Clarkstown.
In 2010, Carlucci announced that he would run for the state Senate against incumbent Republican Senator Thomas Morahan. However, a few months prior to the 2010 general elections, Morahan died.
Facing a replacement Republican on the ballot, Carlucci beat out Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef 53% to 47%.[7] He has never faced another credible general election challenger.
In 2013, the IDC and the Senate Republicans announced a majority coalition agreement.
In April 2018, the IDC was dissolved and Carlucci joined the Senate Democratic Conference.
In the 2018 Democratic Primary, Carlucci defeated Julie Goldberg by a 54% to 46% margin becoming one of only two former IDC members, along with Diane Savino, to defeat primary challengers.
Carlucci is married to Lauren Grossberg Carlucci. The two had their first child in 2013. He lives in the Town of Clarkstown, New York.
Peter “Pete” Harckham is the state senator for the 40th district of the New York State Senate. A Democrat, Harckham was first elected in 2018, defeating incumbent Terrence Murphy. The district includes parts of Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties in the Hudson Valley
Pete Harckham (D)
Chairman of Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Harckham began his career in the advertising sector.
Prior to elected office, Harckham served as President for a not for profit housing corporation that builds affordable housing in northern Westchester County.
Prior to that, Harckham served as Vice Chair of the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation, a San Francisco based private foundation that supports the sustainable management of natural resources.
In 2015 he left the legislature to work in the administration of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as assistant director of the Office of Community Renewal. In that position he helped administer grants in the lower Hudson Valley.
In 2018, Harckham ran against incumbent Republican state Senator Terrence Murphy, who had represented the seat since 2015.
In an overwhelmingly Democratic year, Harckham defeated Murphy, 51% to 49%.
CABLE TV: “Yonkers Newswire” Editor Brian Harrod Interviewed #PeteHarckham on the “Westchester County Roundup” Cable TV Show That Airs On Altice’s #Cablevision And Verizion’s #FIOS today.
PUBLIC ACCESS TV: Former Westchester County Legislature Majority Leader #PeterHarckham is a candidate for NYS Senate in District 40, which covers Westchester and a big chunk of the #HudsonValley
Amy Paulin earned her B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and her M.A. in Criminal Justice from State University of New York at Albany.
Her professional experience includes working as an executive director of My Sisters’ Place and as a fund-raising consultant for nonprofit agencies.
On November 4, 2008, Paulin won re-election to the New York State Assembly, District 88, defeating opponent Anthony Pilla (R).
In 2010, Paulin ran unopposed in the September 14 Democratic primary. She defeated Rene Atayan (R) in the general election on November 2.
She was unchallenged in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.
Once again incumbent Amy Paulin defeated Anthony Decintio Jr. in the New York State Assembly District 88 general election in 2016 and in 2018 she faced no republican opposition.
Paulin resides in Scarsdale with her husband, Ira Schuman. They have three children, Beth, Sarah, and Joseph.
James Gary Pretlow was born August 27, 1949 in Queens, New York and is a member of the New York State Assembly representing the 89th Assembly District that covers Mount Vernon and Yonkers.
Nader J. Sayegh, a resident of Yonkers for over 60 years, grew up with seven siblings on the southwest side of the city, which was ethnically and racially diverse.
35 East Grassy Sprain Rd. 406B Yonkers, NY 10710 914-779-8805
Fax: 914 779-8859
Albany Office
LOB 326 Albany, NY 12248 518 455 3662 Fax: 455-5499
Committee Membership
Committee on Banks
Committee on Cities
Committee on Energy
Committee on Health
Committee on Real Property Taxation
Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus
Nader Sayegh earned a BA from CUNY Lehman College, an MA from Farleigh Dickinson University and Fordham University, and a J.D. from Pace University School of Law. His professional experience includes working as an educator and attorney.
Steven Otis is an American politician from the state of New York. He is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 91st district. He is a member of the Democratic Party
When Assemblyman George S. Latimer chose to run for the State Senate seat vacated by Oppenheimer in the 2012 elections rather than seek reelection, Otis chose to run for Latimer’s seat
Thomas J. Abinanti is an American politician, lawyer, and member of the New York State Assembly from Greenburgh, New York. A member of the Democratic Party, Abinanti was elected to the State Assembly in 2010 to replace Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, and represents central Westchester County
Abinanti moved to Westchester in 1975 and has lived in Greenburgh ever since, where he is a practicing attorney and served two terms as Greenburgh Town Councilman (1980–1984 and 1990–1991).
Abinanti has taught continuing legal education courses for PaceLaw School and courses in state and local government as an adjunct professor at Mercy College.
For almost twenty years (1992–2010), he represented the 12th District on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, which included the villages of Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings, Ardsley, and much of unincorporated Greenburgh, including East Irvington, Central Greenburgh, Hartsdale and Edgemont, until his election to the State Assembly in November 2010.
On the County Board, he previously served as Majority Leader for three terms when the Democrats first assumed the majority on the Board for the first time in the history of the Westchester Legislature.
The 93rd Assembly District represented by Assemblyman Buchwald combines leafy suburbs, traditional small town main streets and many of the parts of White Plains that make it the fastest-growing city in New York State
100 S. Bedford Rd., Suite 150 Mount Kisco, NY 10549 Phone (914) 244-4450
Albany Office
LOB 331 Albany, NY 12248 Phone (518) 455-5397
Committee Membership
Chair, Subcommittee on Election Day Operations and Voter Disenfranchisement
Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection
Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
Committee on Election Law
Committee on Governmental Operations
Committee on Judiciary
Committee on Local Governments
Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force
David Buchwald was born in Larchmont, New York. He attended Yale University, where he received a B.S. in physics. He later went on to receive a M.P.P. at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Before running for New York State Assembly, Buchwald worked at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. He also interned for Congresswoman Nita Lowey.
Buchwald was first elected in 2012 when he unseated incumbent Robert Castelli. He has subsequently won re-election in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
Byrne served an internship with then Congresswoman Sue Kelly
Byrne also served as a member of the Putnam Valley Planning Board and as a Firefighter/EMT with the Kent Volunteer Fire Department where he served three terms as the department’s president.
Prior to her election to the Assembly in 1992, Galef worked as a schoolteacher, a Westchester County Legislator, and Chairwoman of the New York Association of Counties. She currently chairs the Assembly Committee on Real Property Taxation, and is the former chair of the committee on Libraries and Education Technology.
She is a graduate of Purdue University and holds a M.A. in education from the University of Virginia. She currently resides within her own district in the town of Ossining.
Seventy five of the top 100 earners in Westchester in 2018 worked for the county Department of Public Safety
All of the top 10 highest paid worked in the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, including a captain, three lieutenants and two sergeants
Total pay includes overtime, unused time off and other payouts.
Which County Employee Was Paid The Most?
Lt. Brian Hess was the county’s top earner in 2018. The county paid him $93,846 in overtime as well as other pay, boosting his $153,290 base salary to $276,199 in total pay
Name
Title
Gross Pay
Brian Hess
LT-PSS
$276,199
Gerald Steckmeister
LT-PSS
$274,592
Anthony Rao
PO PSS
$273,629
Thomas Camerino
PO PSS
$270,648
Mark Spivak
LT-PSS
$267,584
Tony Malandrino
SERGEANT-PSS
$264,842
Scott McMahon
PO PSS
$261,973
James Luciano
CAPT-PSS
$260,878
Ezekiel Serrano
SERGEANT-PSS
$260,833
Paul Cusano
SERGEANT-PSS
$258,833
Public employee pensions are based on average of total pay for their highest paid years of employment.
Robert Freeman, terminated as Director of the New York Committee On Open Government.
NEW YORK, NY — June 25, 2019 — New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro issued the following statement regarding the termination of Robert Freeman:
“Based on the preliminary findings of our office’s ongoing investigation into a recent complaint filed against Mr. Freeman, I appreciate the swift action taken by the Department of State. The abuse of a public position to engage in illicit conduct will not be tolerated by anyone at any level in New York State government. We are continuing to work closely with our law enforcement partners on this investigation and encourage anyone who may have additional information regarding this matter to contact our offices.”
Jun 29, 2019 – We were disheartened to hear this week of the alleged foul behavior of longtime open-government champion Robert Freeman. Freeman, who headed the…..
Jun 28, 2019 – But as the USA Today Network’s Albany Bureau reported, Freeman faces allegations of sexual harassment from a number of journalists, and was the subject of….
Jun 28, 2019 – New York journalists and good-government advocates woke up Tuesday to some shocking news — that Robert Freeman, the longtime head of the state …
Jun 27, 2019 – But just this week, another case arose for state government as Robert Freeman, a longtime open government and records expert, was fired for sexually…
Jun 27, 2019 So she did what any New York reporter would have done: Call Robert Freeman, a nationally recognized public-records expert who had led the state Committee….
The Daily Gazette-Jun 25, 2019Robert Freeman, an outspoken advocate for freedom of information in New York state, was fired from his job Monday as the executive director of the state …
Jun 25, 2019 – ALBANY – For more than 40 years, Robert Freeman served as state government’s guide for news reporters seeking access to public records maintained by….
Jun 25, 2019 – Robert Freeman, the longtime leader of the state’s Committee on Open Government, was fired Monday after an investigation of allegations he behaved in a…..
Jun 25, 2019 – When news broke early Tuesday that Robert Freeman, the long-tenured Freedom of Information Law expert who New York reporters revered as the ultimate…..
Jun 25, 2019 – ALBANY — For more than four decades, Robert J. Freeman was a champion of government transparency in New York. As the executive director of the….
Jun 25, 2019 – The dismissal of Robert Freeman — who led the government watchdog committee for more than 40 years and was quoted regularly by news media across the….
Jun 25, 2019 – Robert Freeman, the longtime head of the state Committee on Open Government, has been fired for behaving in a “sexually inappropriate manner” toward a….
A strong secrecy law keeps many New York police misconduct records essentially under lock and key
The NYPD turned down a public-records request for its police precinct rosters. Now the Legal Aid Society is suing to obtain them.
The NYPD is facing a lawsuit over its decision to keep basic lists of its officers’ names under lock and key.
The Police Department is withholding information that would help New Yorkers better understand who is policing their neighborhoods
Jerome Greco, is the Legal Aid Society lawyer who filed the lawsuit Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court.
The suit comes months after Legal Aid submitted a Freedom of Information Law in January requesting the rosters, which the NYPD declined to release, saying they would reveal sensitive information and potentially endanger public safety.
The petition asks the court to order the NYPD to provide the rosters.
The NYPD denied both Greco’s initial request for the rosters and his appeal for their release. The department cited exemptions to the Freedom of Information Law that allow government agencies to withhold records that would reveal “non-routine criminal investigative techniques or procedures,” Greco’s petition says.
The Police Department argued that a miscreant who knew how each precinct was staffed could target one that appeared to have less resources or manpower, according to the petition. The NYPD also said releasing the records could put the safety of cops and the general public in danger.
Greco argues that neither of those exemptions should apply to his request. The NYPD can only withhold records that might reveal investigative techniques if they were compiled for law-enforcement purposes, a stipulation that doesn’t cover routine precinct rosters, his petition says.
Greco’s position has support from Robert J. Freeman, a Freedom of Information Law expert who serves as the executive director of the state’s Committee on Open Government. In a March 22 advisory opinion on Greco’s request, Freeman called the NYPD’s decision not to release the records “unsupportable.”
The NYPD’s denial also marked a reversal from its decision to release the rosters for the four police precincts on Staten Island
The department released redacted versions of those records to Patch in December in a response to a Freedom of Information request. The NYPD initially denied the request but a Patch reporter successfully appealed that denial.
Having precinct rosters would help Legal Aid keep better track of officers with histories of wrongdoing.
The names would be incorporated into the organization’s CAPStat database, which aims to help the public track police misconduct.
It would also make it easier for New Yorkers to know the officers — good and bad — who are patrolling their neighborhoods.
Yonkers Public Schools is a school district that serves all of Yonkers, New York, United States. It is governed by a mayorally appointed Board of Trustees
Budget: 550.5 million USD (2015 – 2016 school year)
