Michael Long is no longer working for Auburn. But the city will be paying Long, the former director of capital projects and grants, for another couple months.
According to City Manager Mark Palesh, Long will continue to be paid until he uses up the approximately 50 vacation days he had accumulated while working for the city. Long started working June 16 as city administrator of Poughkeepsie.
“People will do that, take their vacation time instead of a final check or something,” Palesh said Monday.
According to Palesh, the city does not have a single, uniform policy on allowing vacation days to accumulate.
Union contracts dictate how many days most city employees can save. There are five unions that represent city employees.
There is no set policy for people in management positions, such as Long, Palesh said.
According to the city budget, the director of capital projects and grants makes $77,799 for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
Long worked for Auburn 27 years before ending his tenure as the person in charge of securing state and federal grants for the city. He also served as Auburn's interim city manager for about five months in 2006 and 2007.
Long took much of the blame in February when an audit revealed the city was unable to secure almost $1 million in funding for state and federal projects dating back to 1999 because of failure to file paperwork for application or follow up.
Long could not be reached for comment at his Poughkeepsie office. A city hall employee there stated that he was on a pre-planned vacation for the week.
Auburn City Councilor Thomas McNabb said Monday that when he worked for the city, there was a cap on the amount of vacation days he could save. He also said he remembers a city hall policy that put a similar limit on both union and managerial positions.
McNabb retired from the city in 1999 after working 26 years for the engineering department. While he said he was not aware of Long's vacation pay, he would like to see a unified policy that would limit all employees' vacation, sick leave and other extra pay.
“Everyone gets treated alike. It would be the same for union and management employees,” McNabb said.
“People will do that, take their vacation time instead of a final check or something,” Palesh said Monday.
According to Palesh, the city does not have a single, uniform policy on allowing vacation days to accumulate.
Union contracts dictate how many days most city employees can save. There are five unions that represent city employees.
There is no set policy for people in management positions, such as Long, Palesh said.
According to the city budget, the director of capital projects and grants makes $77,799 for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
Long worked for Auburn 27 years before ending his tenure as the person in charge of securing state and federal grants for the city. He also served as Auburn's interim city manager for about five months in 2006 and 2007.
Long took much of the blame in February when an audit revealed the city was unable to secure almost $1 million in funding for state and federal projects dating back to 1999 because of failure to file paperwork for application or follow up.
Long could not be reached for comment at his Poughkeepsie office. A city hall employee there stated that he was on a pre-planned vacation for the week.
Auburn City Councilor Thomas McNabb said Monday that when he worked for the city, there was a cap on the amount of vacation days he could save. He also said he remembers a city hall policy that put a similar limit on both union and managerial positions.
McNabb retired from the city in 1999 after working 26 years for the engineering department. While he said he was not aware of Long's vacation pay, he would like to see a unified policy that would limit all employees' vacation, sick leave and other extra pay.
“Everyone gets treated alike. It would be the same for union and management employees,” McNabb said.
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horseradish wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:39 AM:
As for working in the public sector, i do not. I work for a fairly large private firm and are packages work quite the same way. You see, when you have a good job with a good company, you get good benefits. you should try that sometime. "
horseradish wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:38 AM:
GoodbyeCNY wrote on Jun 25, 2008 6:59 AM:
bizzaro-world wrote on Jun 24, 2008 6:26 PM:
realist wrote on Jun 24, 2008 4:44 PM:
horseradish wrote on Jun 24, 2008 2:32 PM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Jun 24, 2008 1:58 PM:
Of course, we were apprised of that condition the day we were hired -- it wouldn't be fair to this guy who saved up all those years with the understanding he could take the time at the end. "
bizzaro-world wrote on Jun 24, 2008 1:56 PM:
anya wrote on Jun 24, 2008 1:38 PM:
horseradish wrote on Jun 24, 2008 1:03 PM:
if he hadn't had the opportunity to save them throughout his time in auburn, he would have used them before the year ran out, like any sane person would do.
WHAT A NON STORY! give the guy a break. "
interesting wrote on Jun 24, 2008 12:27 PM: