BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Erie County’s Comptroller is claiming that County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein illegally received hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime and comp time. But County Executive Mark Poloncarz says there’s no issue.
Stefan Mychajliw believes this money was “paid improperly under state law,” according to a news release from his office that was released Tuesday morning. His argument consists of two main points:
Based on these claims, Mychajliw is calling for Dr. Burstein to pay back the $336,148 in overtime and comp time she received in 2020 and 2021.
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“Commissioner Burstein has a medical degree and was appointed to that position,” Mychajliw says. “Since medical doctors are exempt from overtime, that means she does not qualify to receive it. The additional compensation is improper and illegal. Dr. Burstein needs to pay it back before the county is sued, costing taxpayers even more money on top of her exorbitant overtime.”
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