City of Rensselaer, NY Salaries and Compensation

Editor's Note: Section 2 of this local law also provides as follows: "This law shall supersede every provision inconsistent herewith of the Rensselaer City Charter, known as 'Chapter 69 of the Laws of 1915,' all amendments thereto, every local law of the City of Rensselaer inconsistent herewith and § 25 of the General City Law, being Chapter 26 of the Laws of 1909, entitled 'An Act in relation to Cities, Constituting Chapter 21 of the Consolidated Laws,' as last amended by Chapter 604 of the Laws of 1923. insofar as such § 25 of the General City Law applies to the City of Rensselaer."

§ 55-1 Power to increase salaries.

The power of the Common Council and of the several departments and boards of the City of Rensselaer to fix the compensation of any office or position is hereby extended to include the power to increase, during any fiscal year, the compensation of any office, officer or person paid out of the treasury of the City of Rensselaer. Such increased compensation may be made after the salary or compensation of any office, officer or person shall have been fixed and provided for in the budget of the City for the fiscal year.

Article II Salary Reduction for Missed Council Meetings

[Adopted 8-5-2009 by L.L. No. 1-2009]

§ 55-2 Findings.

Section 66 of the Rensselaer City Charter explicitly gives the Common Council the right to determine the rules of its own proceedings and be the judges of the election and qualifications of its members.

Members of the Common Council are elected officials to be held accountable to the residents who elected them.

Absenteeism of the Council affects its ability to conduct work and fairly represent the people of the City of Rensselaer.

§ 55-3 Schedule of reductions; exceptions.

The Common Council of the City of Rensselaer hereby authorizes the City Treasurer to dock the pay of any Councilperson in office after December 31, 2009, according to the following schedule:

(1)

Regular Common Council meetings held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month: to be docked a total of $50 for each meeting missed beyond the first four meetings missed within a calendar year, with the exception of documented written medical reasons.

(2)

Special meetings called for by the Mayor, President of the Common Council or any three Alderpersons: to be docked a total of $25 for each meeting missed beyond the first four meetings within a calendar year, with the exception of documented written medical reasons.

(3)

Common Council workshop meetings to review and discuss proposed resolutions to be voted on at the next regular Common Council meeting: to be docked a total of $25 for each meeting missed beyond the first four meetings within a calendar year, with the exception of documented written medical reasons.

(4)

Budget/Finance workshop meetings that are called to specifically discuss and help draft the new budget for the following year to be later voted on: to be docked a total of $15 for each meeting missed beyond the first six meetings missed within a calendar year, with the exception of documented written medical reasons.

The exception for documented written medical reasons may be determined by the entire Council as a valid reason for not docking a Councilperson's pay by means of a unanimous Council vote.

§ 55-4 Members on extended leave.

Any Councilperson out for a period of six months or more shall not be paid regardless of medical reason until returning. Such Councilperson, depending on the length of time absent, should consider resigning so that a functioning representative can represent people of that ward and City as a whole.

§ 55-5 Proof of attendance.

Proof of meeting attendance will be determined by timesheet reports via the new hand scanner (or equivalent time clock). In the absence of a working hand scanner (or equivalent time clock), proof of meeting attendance will be determined by the following:

Non-functioning hand scanner or time clock: proof of meeting attendance will be documented by the City Clerk for all regular Common Council meetings and special meetings determined by official roll call. This official roll call will be submitted to the City Treasurer by the Clerk the following morning after the meeting.

Proof of the Common Council workshop meetings will be determined by the Common Council President, or in the case of the Common Council President's absence, the acting or Pro-Tem, or in the case of both their absences, by the senior member (years on the Council) of the Common Council present.

Budget/Finance meetings.

(1)

Proof of budget/finance meetings will be determined by log-in sheet and will be confirmed by two of the following:

(a)

Treasurer.

(b)

Chairperson of the Finance Committee.

(c)

Chairperson of the Auditing Committee.

(2)

In the event that the Treasurer and one of the above Chairpersons are missing, the remaining person can confirm the log-in sheet on his/her own.

The City Treasurer or his/her designee shall maintain a spreadsheet containing each Councilperson's attendance of the above-mentioned four types of meetings and shall submit a copy of this report in each Councilperson's folder for the regular Common Council as part of the documentation of payroll tracking.