Nassau County granted 104 raises to non-union employees in 2015, according to Comptroller George Maragos.
The raises were granted after the county lifted the three-year wage freeze on its union workers. Maragos says he sent a letter to county officials to call for raises for non-union workers to stay in line with their union counterparts.
"We would recommend that departments adhere to the same 8 percent salary increase where merit warrants," it stated in Maragos' letter.
He says the non-union workers received significant raises anyway, averaging a 13 percent increase. The raises cost the county just over $1 million in the process. The current projected budget deficit remains at $201.5 million.
CSEA President Jerry Larricchiuta says his union isn't necessarily opposed to the raises, but it does take issue with the fact that many of the pay hikes are much larger than the percentage the union members received.
Larricchiuta says no facet of the county government is immune from this, including the comptroller's office. CSEA claims that Maragos handed out a handful of raises that are also well above the union rate.
"He's guilty as well, and as the guardian of our money, who's going to listen to him when he's doing the same thing," says Larricchiuta.
In response to CSEA's claims, the comptroller's office says that the combined pay of its staff went up 3.5 percent, below the union guideline.
A spokesperson for County Executive Ed Mangano told News 12 that the county has eliminated 123 positions, saving $15 million, and placing the remaining employees in line with civil servants.