While County Executive Thomas Suozzi gave out $1.1 million in raises to his appointees recently, a few pay hikes also were handed out at the Nassau Board of Elections.
The largest increase approved by Democratic Elections Commissioner Bill Biamonte went to longtime friend Larry Nedelka, who worked with Biamonte in North Hempstead when Ben Zwirn was supervisor in the early 1990s.
Nedelka, now executive assistant to Biamonte, was boosted from $68,000 annually to $80,000. Biamonte said Nedelka handles the human resources side of the office and has the most responsiblities besides deputy commissioner Eleanor Sciglibaglio, who received an 8.1 percent raise from $92,500 to $100,000 a year.
Republican Commissioner John DeGrace gave out 3.5 percent raises to longtime deputy Carol Busketta, boosting her annual salary of $101,184 to $104,726 annually; to Julie Cleary, former secretary to Nassau GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello, who now is DeGrace’s executive assistant, increasing her annual pay of $103,895 to $107,531; and to counsel Angelo Delligatti, former Oyster Bay Supervisor and current town board member, from $63,537 to $65,761.
Celeste Hadrick
Neither Biamonte nor DeGrace received a pay increase — they both earn $110,000 — though there is some talk of boosting their pay to $128,000-a-year to match the salary of Suffolk’s elections commissioners.