Voluntary Separation Program Returned To Legislative Committee (VIDEO)

Rockland County Legislators unanimously voted Tuesday night to send four resolutions dealing with the proposed 2013 Targeted Voluntary Separation Incentive Program back to committee.  The Budget & Finance Committee put forward four resolutions dealing with Memorandums of Agreement with the Rockland Association of Management non-union salaried management that follows RAM, CSEA and non-union, non-management employees. But Committee Chairman Michael Grant said he would vote against the resolutions because of a lack of information from the county administration. 

Grant said the county executive told them 55 to 70 positions were under consideration for the program but a list of them was never provided. He said he was willing to work on the resolution but that the administration had a poor job and provided little or no detail since the program was proposed in the fall.

“It’s their initiative,” said Grant. “They need to sell it to us.”

When Grant said he would vote against the resolutions, Legislator Ilan Schoenberger made a motion to commit them back to Budget & Finance for further review and revision.

“Again, I felt some skepticism from the outset,” said Grant. 

Schoenberger said information from the personnel commissioner was unclear whether the positions would be permanently eliminated if the employee holding the job signs up for voluntary separation 

“It makes one wonder if we are truly getting a savings for the incentive we are paying,” he said.

Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell said her initial understanding had been that the targeted positions would be ones not considered vital.  But she said it was clear if the county executive would retain the right to rehire the people signing up for the program either as employees or consultants.

“I’m willing to recommit but I’m not sure that going back to committee is going to solve this particular problem,” said Cornell.

Under the provisions of the resolutions returned to committee, in order to be eligible, employees would have to have at least five years of continuous service, permanent Civil Service status and resign or retire between May 18 and June 1, 2013. They would have to submit an Intent to Participate form by April 25.  The voluntary Separation Program was not open to employees already receiving a state pension and was tentatively timed to go into effect in May and June. 

Grant said the program was supposed to save $3.5 million in traditional salary plus more from benefits. Schoenberger noted that amount would be less because a quarter of the year had already passed.