Make New York Post a Preferred Source A Democratic Party boss being probed by the FBI for alleged vote-buying tried to give himself a 30% taxpayer-funded raise – but residents shamed him into a pay cut instead.
Rich Schaffer, who holds a dual role as elected Babylon town supervisor and the Suffolk County Democratic Party boss, wanted to reward himself with a $36,000 salary increase for his government job even as he proposed hiking property taxes by nearly 6%.
But Schaffer, whose budget proposal was unveiled Oct. 15, eventually agreed to take a pay cut after fuming taxpayers publicly blasted him for the move.
“We’re being asked to pay for a 29% salary increase for you as you are actively being investigated by the federal and state [agencies] for corruption,” said one of the more than two-dozen angry residents who protested the raise and planned property tax hike at a Nov. 5 meeting.
Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer is being investigated by the FBI for allegedly running a Mafia-style campaign to keep his role as Dem party chairman. Facebook/Supervisor Rich Schaffer “How dare you raise our taxes by that much — where is that money going? To you? You’re being investigated by the FBI, is that what you need the money for? For your legal fees?” another angry resident blasted at the board.
The town later announced it would revise the budget to remove the raises for Schaffer and the other elected officials, which ranged from a 5% salary jump to an over 13% hike for at least three other town leaders outside of the supervisor’s own almost 30% bump.
“Message received,” Schaffer told Newsday of the scourge from his constituents and the budget change. He and the town of Babylon did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
“I believe that I as the leader have to not only take action to correct that but also show that I understand the concerns that have been expressed.”
About a week after being chewed-out by his constituents, the town announced that it would revise the budget to remove the raises for Schaffer and the other elected officials Town of Babylon Schaffer will instead cut his salary by a little over $3,000 per year to bring his salary as town supervisor to $120,000.
He will still take home salaries as the Dem party chairman and from his private law practice.
The announcement of the pay cut came just one week after Democrats around the country, even in deep-red areas, won big to take control of the House and Senate.
