http://www.nypost.com/seven/11152008/news/regionalnews/huh__highway_man_returns_his_25g_raise_138842.htm
A highway superintendent from a town in Westchester turned down a $25,000 pay raise because he didn't feel right taking the money in this terrible economy. Eric DiBartolo, 47, of Yorktown, said that his conscience wouldn't let him take the boost to his own bottom line when so many people around the area are suffering financially. "I took a deep breath and said, 'Is it really the right message for me to send? With things so tough, with people loosing their jobs, I'm taking $25,000?' " he told The Post. "So I made the decision." DiBartolo, a Yorktown native, was last year given a salary of $125,000 after town officials decided to expand his duties to include not just the maintenance of the roadways but of the town's parks and public buildings, too. He said that under his deal for the new executive position, he was promised a raise up to $150,000 if he did a good job. In the last year, he managed to streamline operations, saving Yorktown nearly $1 million. That performance earned him the money, but he decided things had changed in the past year. "I reached out to the supervisor and said, 'I'm not going to take it,' " he said. "As much as I could use the money, I'm just not going to take it, just because of the message it sends," he added. "That $25,000 may be able to save somebody's job from a layoff next year." After DiBartolo's move, the town's supervisor and clerk and four board members also agreed to turn down 3 percent pay raises they were due. According to The Journal News, this saved the town another $8,000. "It's not about the money," Councilman Lou Campisi said. "It's a message that we want to send out to the people to say, 'Look, we understand what people are going through.' " A local Yorktown tax watchdog hailed the decision. "I think Eric is doing a good job and could probably use the money," Ed Ciffone, of the United Taxpayers of Yorktown, told the paper. "He saved us a lot of money." DiBartolo said some people were incredulous. "Some people said, 'You're crazy. Take the money.' But I think I'm just doing the right thing for the right reason, and I believe it comes back to you." The married DiBartolo, who has no kids but does have a dog, said he has not caught any flack at home for his decision. "My dog is perfectly happy with it, and my wife supports what I do," he said. todd.venezia@nypost.com
