A pair of personnel resolutions at the Saugerties Town Board meeting last week were earmarked for scrutiny by a candidate for supervisor, but the incumbent says both moves are above board.
Gaetana Ciarlante, a town supervisor candidate running on the Conservative line, had questions about the hiring of Matthew Sabia as the new Town of Saugerties assessor, and the change in status of parks and recreation employee Samantha Wamsley from temporary full-time to permanent full-time.
Sabia was appointed to a contract running from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2031, with an annual salary of $92,000, with five vacation days and one personal day to be used in 2025, and 20 vacation days and three personal days for 2026. Sabia was most recently the deputy assessor in the Town of Ulster. Retiring assessor Frank Orlando’s 2025 salary is $91,000.
Wamsley’s shift from temporary to permanent full-time employment came at the recommendation of parks, recreation and buildings superintendent Greg Chorvas.
Ciarlante’s questions about both came in an email following the Wednesday, September 17 town board meeting. Of Sabia, she questioned his vacation time, which according to the town’s employee handbook entitles permanent full-time employees to two weeks of paid vacation after one year, three weeks after five years, four weeks after ten years and five weeks after 20 years through retirement.
“If he has a separate contract, where is it?” Ciarlante asked. “Why was it not made available to the public and the contract placed on tonight’s agenda or on the town website?”
Ciarlante also cited the town’s employee handbook with regard to Wamsley, saying that the switch allowed her to be eligible for benefits as a permanent full-time employee working a minimum of 37.5 hours per week.
“What was the temporary job she was hired for?” Ciarlante asked. “Did the need for that job end? Was the job you are planning to hire her for tonight posted? What is the permanent job? When and where was it posted? Is this a civil service position? Is she under a contract or under the bargaining agreement the town has with union employees?”
Ciarlante added that both personnel moves burdened local taxpayers with little information as to why.
“You are loading up the cost of the town’s payroll and not informing the town with any information,” she said.
In an interview with Hudson Valley One on Friday, September 19, town supervisor Fred Costello addressed both personnel moves. With regard to Sabia, he said no one currently working for the town had the credentials to take over for Orlando, and they had to be competitive to bring in a good replacement. To do so, they offered Sabia a contract commensurate with his experience rather than offering him entry-level benefits.
“In that pool of candidates, we have to offer a competitive salary,” Costello said. “Hence, we acknowledge the time he’s already accumulated working in other communities. There’s no contract beyond the handbook because his time off and other benefits were prescribed in the motion, so that that will create the record.”
With regard to Wamsley, Costello said the recommendation came due to her work lasting for longer than what is appropriate for a temporary full-time position.
“Temporary full-time means you might work 55 hours for four months and that’s it,” he said. “(Wamsley) has become increasingly instrumental in their successful operation, and was definitely trending towards permanent full-time. Through her hours we’re going to have to acknowledge that she’s a full-time member of the staff and she’s proven instrumental and invaluable.”
Wamsley’s salary was unavailable, but the resolution states she will receive no increase in current rate of pay. Her official title was also unclear, but Costello described her role as that of a clerk-plus.
“There’s a lot of clerical work she handles, a lot of daily filing,” he said. “She works closely with (athletic) leagues, works on schedules and making fields available, and coordinating what is one of the largest financial resources for the town through use fees…It’s clear she’s going to exceed the minimum hours, and rather than try to remove her to stay compliant, we will just hire her permanent full-time to continue her work.”
Join the family! 
