Letters to the Franklin Square/Elmont Herald March 24

Is Kate Murray really a fiscal conservative?

To the Editor:

If you go to Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray’s Web page, it states, “residents can at least count on one level of government to be fiscally responsible and accountable.” The recent investigations into the operation of the Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh has shown that Murray is not very eager to be accountable to the public, or fiscally responsible.

Murray and the Hempstead Town Council have approved budget increases at the animal shelter, year after year, to $7.1 million in 2010, and $6.64 million in 2011. A large portion of this budget is specified in a single line item called “Administrative Charge.” This line item was $3,492,300 and $2,639,000 in 2010 and 2011, respectively. According to Newsday, these charges are for work done by other Town of Hempstead departments for the shelter.

Despite requests from residents at Town Hall meetings, Murray wouldn’t give details about this charge. In another line item, “Advertising and Promotion,” the budget specifies $9,000 and $5,000 for 2010 and 2011, respectively. Last year Murray sent out three mailers promoting the animal shelter’s free pet program, at a cost of more than $100,000 for postage alone. She even increased the cost of the mailers by making six different versions, so each town councilperson can have a version of the flier with their name and picture on it. This also increases postage costs 28 percent, according to Councilman Gary Hudes, because they cannot be sent by saturation mailing, but must be addressed to each household in the councilperson’s district.

In the 2011 Hempstead Animal Shelter budget, there are 35 employees specified that earn almost $3 million combined, for an average employee salary exceeding $85,000 per year. There are also an unspecified number of seasonal and part-time workers that earn a combined $275,000. Despite this, overtime is specified at $280,000 for both 2010 and 2011, which makes up 8.7 percent of payroll. This year the shelter hired two part-time veterinarians who will work a combined 42 hours per week, for a total of $242,000 per year.

According to www.payscale.com, a company that provides salary data, the median income for a Long Island shelter veterinarian is $87,000, with a peak salary of $112,000. The Town of Hempstead is paying more than twice the median wage for shelter veterinarians. These irrefutable facts demonstrate that Murray and the Hempstead Town Council are not fiscal conservatives, but are very wasteful of taxpayers’ money. I urge all town residents to contact Town Hall, and tell Murray and the Town Council that they want real fiscal accountability.

Felix Procacci

Franklin Square

According to Procacci, the figures used above come from the Town of Hempstead budgets, which are posted at toh.li, as well as from data collected from statements made at the TOH board meetings.