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ROTTERDAM
Town settles with former assessor
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

    Town officials approved an agreement with former assessor John Macejka Jr. providing him with cash for vacation time and the town with assurance that he will not bring suit.
    The town will pay Macejka for 259 hours worth of vacation leave he had banked while employed between July 2003 and December 2007. The agreement will give Macejka a cash payment of about $8,000, which is roughly $1,500 more than he would have made under limits provided in Rotterdam’s CSEA agreement.
    In exchange for the time, Macejka agrees to absolve the town of all other legal liability to him during his term as assessor. Supervisor Steve Tommasone said the agreement allows the town to avoid any potential legal battles with Macejka over compensation.
    “It prevents us from any future litigation as well, which would cost us much more in legal fees than what we’re paying him,” he said. “This was the right thing to do.”
    Four of the five board Town Board members voted in favor of approving the agreement during their meeting Wednesday. John Silva, the fifth member, was absent.
    In December, Tommasone rejected Macejka and appointed Craig Surprise, a Columbia County assessor, to a six-year term. Macejka blamed politics and residential uproar over the unpopular property revaluation for his ousting. The reassessment was concluded last year by an outside firm, GAR Associates.
    Macejka did not return a call for comment Wednesday evening.
NEW TRUCKS
    In other business, town officials approved a $1.1 million bond anticipation note to purchase highway equipment for the Public Works Department. The 15-year bond will purchase a loader, brush truck, two snowplow-sander trucks, a dump truck and backhoe, as well as fi ve sander units.
    Tommasone said replacing the equipment is long overdue. He said the town rolled the new bond into an existing bond, which allowed them to secure an interest rate of about 4 percent.
    “It’s a good move for the highway department and it’s a good move for the town in the long run.”
    The town also approved the promotion of Patrick Farry, an officer with the Rotterdam Police. Farry, a 10-year veteran of the force, achieved the rank of investigator and will earn an annual salary of $65,599.
Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.

This assessor position has cost this town some bucks. In 2006 the salary was $54,425/yr. In 2008 the salary went up to $64,725. A $10,000 increase in 2 years. I also realize that Macejka shoud be paid for his accumulated vacation time, but what is this extra $1500 for? It is monies over and above what the Rotterdam CSEA agreement is permited to provide. And in exchange for what? So Mr. Macejka would release the town of all other legal liabilities to him during his term assessor? What does that mean?

All I see is that this position has cost the taxpayers almost $20,000 between the new assessor, Mr. Surprise's increased salary and Mr.Macejka's supposed legal action.

Bumble, I agree it was our money being spent but it also cost the taxpayer residents of Rotterdam a ton of money due to the botched reval that the assessor Mr Macejka failed to oversee while it was being done and now our tax bills are through the roof. It was worth every dime to have him gone and hopefully we'll now get treated fairly when we have issues with our tax bill.

Oh I certainly agree with you on that one shadow. Let's just hope we get out monies worth out of this one! But I am still very curious on what this $1500 was a payout for. The article makes it sound like a threat!!! What was Mecejka going to sue the town for?

Macejka was probably threatening them with breaking their contract agreement and the lawsuit alone would have cost the town more than $1500 to settle it.

The way I read it...Mecejka rightfully had his vacation time coming to him. That was it!

The resolution on the agenda last night just read"Authorize the Supervisor to execute Termination Agreement with former Town Assessor". It appears that the extra $1500 above the vacation time was for aggravation pay just to avoid a potential lawsuit in the future.

Well shadow, I hope that this will be the best $1500 this town has spent in a long time.

It's good ole fashioned "go away" money.

Quoted from Kevin March

It's good ole fashioned "go away" money.

I guess the same can be said for the "Surprise Era."  Tah Tah   Whose next?  Gerard???  Oh he got his go away money last year.  HaHaHahHa

Quoted from 778

I guess the same can be said for the "Surprise Era."  Tah Tah   Whose next?  Gerard???  Oh he got his go away money last year.  HaHaHahHa

Nah....GP ain't going anywhere. Rumor in rotterdam has it that he will attempt a run for supervisor!!

Imagine what Godlewski would do if if picture of Gerard with the words
"GP for Super" should show up under his door

i hear he is calling for documents from the clerks in the super's office about how pics of "ND for Super" got under the doors

the best part is FDG was in on it

Sounds like they need to call the FBI because it could be felony criminal conspiracy.

Quoted from TippyCanoe

Imagine what Godlewski would do if if picture of Gerard with the words
"GP for Super" should show up under his door

i hear he is calling for documents from the clerks in the super's office about how pics of "ND for Super" got under the doors

the best part is FDG was in on it

Hey.....it's just called early campaigning.....yes?

Quoted from bumblethru

Nah....GP ain't going anywhere. Rumor in rotterdam has it that he will attempt a run for supervisor!!

Assembly primary candidate, Glenville town attorney candidate-at least he still sells ANG's cheese.