Paterson public works employees continue to earn large amounts through overtime
By Jayed Rahman
Published: August 3, 2016
More than a dozen public works employees earned more than $20,000 in overtime in fiscal year 2016, according to city records.
14 employees received more than $20,000 in overtime pay. The top three overtime earners were George Magzanian, William Rodriguez, and Joseph Mania.
Magzanian received $49,965 in overtime almost doubling his $52,240 base salary. Rodriguez received $48,562 – his base salary is $50,041, according to city records.
Mania received $45,950. His base salary is $74,073.
One employee, Timothy Hanlon managed to double his salary through overtime pay. His base salary is $36,377 and he received $36,518 in overtime, according to records.
In fiscal year 2014, there were six public works employees, who doubled their salaries through overtime. The next year, fiscal year 2015, there were five. Now, there’s just one. That may be due to an overall drop in overtime pay in the city.
The last fiscal year saw overtime drop from $5.98 to $3.91 million, touted mayor Jose “Joey” Torres during a speech last week.
“The same people are cashing in,” said Andre Sayegh, 6th Ward councilman, who has been vocal about alleged overtime abuse in the public works department. Mania and Hanlon allegedly billed taxpayers overtime for hours the two men spent doing odd jobs for the mayor, evinced an NBC New York investigation.
Torres did not respond to a call for comment on Wednesday morning.
Other men — Jorge Makdissi, Jeffrey Williams, and Jose Toledo – who were also captured on video doing jobs at the mayor’s Arlington Avenue home also received overtime. Makdissi received $8,800, Williams received $28,476, and Toledo received $2,219, according to city records.
Over the past three years, large overtime pay were received by the same select number of employees in the city.
“We’ve asked questions and raised the issue,” said council president William McKoy noting reducing overtime is an administrative function.
The 14 public works employees listed below received more than $20,000 in overtime pay:
George Magzanian – $49,964.70
William R. Rodriguez – $48,562.10
Joseph Mania – $45,950.17
Imad A. Mowaswes – $36,678.67
Timothy Hanlon – $36,518.58
Robert Statuto – $36,190.88
Luis Guzman – $35,446.51
Michael L. Acey – $31,884.15
Jeffrey Williams – $28,475.61
Evelyn Deaveareaux – $26,117.76
Michael G. Jackson – $23,049.40
Gwendolyn Bynum – $22,294.57
Eugene Miller – $22,236.48
Calvin Manuel – $21,031.15.
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