A settlement has been reached in mayor Jason West’s lawsuit against the New Paltz Village Board for reducing his salary in 2013 from $35,000 to $22,500, his attorney disclosed last week. Village trustee Thomas Rocco has been quoted as saying that the amount of the settlement is $12,000, although it remains unclear whether that is a one-time payment or the $35,000 salary line would be reinstated in the village budget.
The Village Board is expected to vote to approve the terms of the settlement at its meeting this Wednesday evening, February 11, presumably in executive session. “I don’t have any comment on the settlement,” West told the New Paltz Times.
Sally Rhoads, the village trustee who spearheaded to effort to knock back West’s salary line after he requested a $10,000 raise in the 2013/14 budget, also spoke of the settlement in measured terms. “All of those who are involved in this hope for a speedy resolution — that’s everybody, both sides,” she told the Times. “Other than that, I have no comment. When you have people of good will, everyone coming together with good intent, we can succeed as a community.”
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