Anthony Pancella, Babylon GOP chief, gets expense account
The executive committee of the Babylon Republican Party has approved a $2,000-a-month expense account for town party chairman Anthony Pancella III. Photo Credit: Randee Daddona
The Babylon Republican executive committee this month approved an expense account for town GOP chairman Anthony Pancella III, but there’s an unusual catch.
The 10-member board approved a monthly $2,000 covering “incidentals" such as meals and hotels. What was unusual was that the authorization was made “effective retroactively to September, 2005,” when Pancella first was elected chairman.
That comes to $24,000 a year, or a total of $324,000 over 13 1/2 years.
The board noted in its resolution that Pancella received no compensation for his work as party chairman, no auto allowance and nothing for health insurance.
But as vice president of Suffolk Off-Track Betting Corp., a political patronage appointment, Pancella receives a salary of $187,500 a year, after a $45,000 pay hike last June. OTB also supplies him with health insurance.
Pancella asked for the resolution to memorialize what the party executive committee had informally agreed to provide in the past. John Jay LaValle, Suffolk Republican chairman, got the 10 town GOP leaders to approve a similar resolution for his salary and benefits several years ago.
The Babylon GOP's actions came after questions arose over raises and benefits that former Babylon Democratic chairman Robert Stricoff was paid. Suffolk Democratic chairman Richard Schaffer said the payments were made without approval by the Babylon Democrats' executive committee.
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