Six-figure pensions are becoming the norm among retirees from New York’s largest downstate suburban police departments, according to data posted today at SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website.
Fully three-quarters of the 242 Nassau County and Suffolk County police department officers retiring last year, as well as two-thirds of the 39 newly retired Yonkers city police officers, were eligible for annual pensions of more than $100,000, the data show. The pension amounts do not include added severance payments for accumulated sick or vacation time.
The average pension was $81,260 for all 1,322 Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) members retiring in fiscal 2019 after at least 20 years of service. Among new police retirees in fiscal 2019, the highest maximum benefit amounts were reported for Jeff Fabre of Nassau County ($221,086), Anthony Ovchinnikoff of Clarkstown ($198,701), Thomas Cokeley of Ramapo ($180,656), Thomas Papaccio of Nassau County ($179,440), and Edmund Leahy of Yonkers ($177,778).
Newly posted pension data at SeeThroughNY.net also include retirement benefits for 402,419 individuals who retired as members of the New York State and Local Employee Retirement System (ERS), which covers nearly all other non-teaching public employees outside New York City. Among 7,368 NYSLERS members retiring in 2019 after at least 30 years of service, the average annual pension benefit was $50,497.
The list of top pension earners in NYSLERS was topped by Shashikant Lele, a former surgeon and professor at Roswell Park Cancer Center ($436,356), followed by Paul Scott, a surgeon at Nassau County Health Care Corp ($328,127) and Leonard Barrett, also a surgeon at Nassau County Health Care Corp ($315,104). Statewide, another 22 newly retired NYSLERS members were eligible for pensions exceeding $200,000.
The complete SeeThroughNY.net database include maximum pension allowances for 436,872 retirees from state government, public authorities, counties, towns, villages, cities not including New York City, special districts and school districts.
The Empire Center, based in Albany, is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting policies that can make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.
You may also like
Twenty-four Percent Increase in Six-Figure Pensions at NYCERS
A total of $5.2 billion in pension payments were made in calendar year 2021 to 152,000 members of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS) Read More
Average Pay Spiked at Port Authority in 2021
Average pay for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees increased nearly 10 percent last year, to $123,000. Read More
Empire Center Submits Non-Gerrymandered Maps for Consideration
After the New York State Court of Appeals declared both the congressional and senate maps void, the Empire Center for Public Policy is submitting its set of maps Read More
New York On Track to Experience Energy Deficits of Ten Percent or More
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) places New York communities at risk of devastating blackouts due to insufficient electricity levels Read More
Over 700 MTA Employees Earned More in OT than Regular Pay in 2021, Data Show
More than 300 employees were paid at least $100,000 in overtime and at least 734 earned more in overtime than in regular pay at the MTA last year Read More
A Year Later, Arbeeny Family Support Still Critical to Promoting Government Transparency
The Arbeeny family and the Empire Center are celebrating a year of partnership in remembrance of Norman Arbeeny, who passed away two years ago today after contracting COVID-19 in a Brooklyn nursing home. Read More
Legislative Spending Unevenly Divided Among Members
Spending by state lawmakers on office personnel and administrative costs varies widely, with some paying out nearly twice as much as others Read More
Testimony: New Yorkers Need the Facts on CLCPA
The Climate Action Council is leaving New Yorkers in the dark when it comes to their far-reaching Climate Act Read More
Enjoying our work? Sign up for email alerts on our latest news and research.
Together, we can make New York a better place to live and work!