US News

COUNCIL POLS DOLE OUT LEFTOVER$ TO STAFFERS

Wall Street firms aren’t the only places giving out questionable staff bonuses during the recession.

Despite raising taxes and cutting government services, individual City Council members showered their staffs with tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses at the end of the last fiscal year, The Post has learned.

A dozen members transferred unused funds from their accounts for rent and office supplies into their personnel accounts in June, the last month of fiscal year 2009, and six reached by The Post admitted to using the money to paying employee bonuses.

Each member gets $273,000 for all costs and is supposed to return unspent money to the city’s general coffers.

The bonuses were in addition to 8 percent raises each council staffer was granted last week.

“I didn’t want to turn that money back to the government when the workers have done the job,” said Councilman Kendall Stewart (D-Brooklyn), who, records show, moved $30,000 on June 19 to give bonuses to eight to 10 staffers.

“Me turning back $30,000 and everybody else spending their money to give it to the staff, would that make any sense to do?”

Stewart said his staff deserved the bonuses for “stepping up to the plate” after two of his employees were indicted on embezzlement charges last year in the ongoing council slush-fund investigation that began in late 2007.

The Post reported this year that Stewart also gave employee Cislyn Boucher a $24,000 raise when she was promoted after the indictments.

In June, Councilman Thomas White (D-Queens) divvied up $38,000 in unused cash relatively evenly between five staffers.

“I have a very committed, dedicated staff. They work very hard. If I could, I would pay them more money,” White said.

Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-SI) gave $15,000 to staffers in June. Ignizio said he returned $88,000 to the city in June.

Councilman Jimmy Oddo (R-SI), the GOP minority leader, moved $32,000 on July 1 for bonuses. He said he also returned $22,000 at the end of the fiscal year and defended the perks as a way to avoid permanent raises in salaries for his staffers.

Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) transferred $24,500 on June 23. His aide would say only that it was for “personnel services,” but a source confirmed some of the money went to bonuses.

Charles Barron, another Brooklyn Democrat, gave his staff $12,055 in bonuses and also noted how hardworking and underpaid his employees are.

Two members who did last-minute money shifts did not return repeated calls: Annabel Palma (D-Bronx), who moved $15,000 on June 23, and James Gennaro (D-Queens), who transferred $21,410 on June 30.

sally.goldenberg@nypost.com