Clay Board Approves Pay Raise for Deputy Supervisor, Settles Rite Aid Tax Dispute
The Town Board authorized a salary increase for the Deputy Supervisor and approved a $19,316 refund to Rite Aid following a property assessment error during a brief December meeting.
●Deputy Supervisor Salary Increase: Approved raising the monthly salary from $1,981 to $3,621.06 for six months, citing increased workload. (Vote: 6-0; Councilor Bick abstained)
●Rite Aid Tax Settlement: Authorized a $19,316.84 refund to Rite Aid Corp. for overpaid 2024 taxes due to an assessment error on Henry Clay Boulevard. (Vote: 7-0)
●Rich Family Subdivision: Denied a zone change application for Oasis Lane "without prejudice" after the applicant failed to appear and multiple meeting adjournments. (Vote: 7-0)
●New Court Clerk Position: Established a full-time Court Clerk position in the Justice Department to comply with NYS Civil Service regulations. (Vote: 7-0)
●Northern Credit Union Public Hearing: Closed a public hearing for a proposed credit union with a drive-thru on West Taft Road; the Planning Board has issued a favorable recommendation.
CLAY — Citing a workload that has far exceeded the job description, the Town Board voted Monday evening to significantly increase the salary of the Deputy Supervisor.
Councilor Eugene Young, seconded by Councilor Deborah Magaro-Dolan, put forward the resolution to raise the pay for the position held by Joseph Bick. According to the meeting minutes, the board determined that the current duties and required hours for the role surpass the existing compensation.
The resolution increases the monthly salary from $1,981 to $3,621.06 for a six-month period effective immediately. The motion carried with six votes in favor; Councilor Bick abstained from the vote.
In other financial business, the board moved to settle a tax certiorari action with Rite Aid Corp. The settlement addresses an error in the town’s 2024 property assessment for the pharmacy located at 7245 Henry Clay Boulevard.
Because the property was incorrectly assessed, the corporation overpaid its taxes for the year. The board unanimously authorized a refund of $19,316.84 to cover the overpayment of town taxes. Councilor Young introduced the motion, which was seconded by Councilor Edward Wisnowski.
The board also moved swiftly to address a stalled housing development application. The "Rich Family Subdivision" request, which sought a zone change from Residential Agricultural to One-Family Residential on Oasis Lane, was denied.
The application had been on the board’s agenda since September, appearing at meetings on Sept. 3, Sept. 15, Oct. 6, and Nov. 5. According to the minutes, no representative was present to speak for the applicant during Monday’s hearing. Councilor Young moved to deny the application "without prejudice"—a legal distinction that allows the applicant to resubmit in the future—due to the numerous adjournments and lack of progress. The vote to deny was 7-0.
On the personnel front, the board officially created a new full-time position. A resolution establishing a Clerk to the Court role within the Justice Department was approved unanimously. The minutes state this action was necessary to maintain the position on the town’s official roster in accordance with New York State Civil Service regulations.
Additionally, the board closed a public hearing regarding a new Northern Credit Union branch proposed for West Taft Road. The project, located on a 2.54-acre parcel in the O-2 Office District, includes a drive-thru ATM facility. Brody Smith, speaking for the applicant, detailed plans for 46 parking spaces and landscape buffers, including a berm with evergreen trees to shield the site from nearby wetlands and homes. The Planning Board has issued a favorable recommendation on the special permit.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:44 p.m.
This article was drafted by AI (claude-sonnet-4-20250514) from the official meeting transcript and reviewed by a human editor.
Quotes link to source video timestamps for verification.
Read our editorial policy.
Community Discussion
0 comments
Be the first to comment on this story.
🔍Ask Clay
Have a question about this story? Search across meeting transcripts, town history, and municipal code.
Related Town Board Meetings
Clay Town Board Approves New Northern Credit Union Drive-Thru, Addresses Traffic Safety
●Annual Salaries Set: Board approved 2026 salaries ranging from $21,218 for councilors to $137,500 for the Commissioner of Planning & Development (Vote: 7-0).
●Meeting Schedule Adjusted: Regular meetings moved to the first and third Mondays at 7:30 PM; three meetings (Feb 16, July 6, Aug 3) were cancelled (Vote: 7-0).
●Legal Services Retained: Germain & Germain retained as Town Attorney and Zoning Board counsel; Bond, Schoeneck & King retained for Planning Board at $36,000 (Vote: 7-0).
●Engineering Services: C & S Engineers retained for town services and zoning map updates (Vote: 7-0).
●Deputy Supervisor Named: Councilor Joseph Bick appointed as Deputy Supervisor (Vote: 7-0).
●Planning Board Appointments: Michelle Borton reappointed as Chair; Harold Henty appointed to a seven-year term expiring in 2032 (Vote: 7-0).
●Zoning Map Adopted: Board accepted the revised Official Zoning Map dated Dec. 12, 2025 (Vote: 7-0).
●Board of Ethics: Town Clerk Jill Hageman-Clark appointed Chairperson for a five-year term (Vote: 7-0).
Taft Road Development Draws Crowd as Clay Board Unveils Flat Tax Levy Budget
●2026 Tentative Budget Approved: The board approved a roughly $23 million budget. Comptroller Paula Caron stated the plan stays below the state tax cap and results in no town tax increase for residents.
●Hinerwadels Zone Change Adjourned: A public hearing regarding the rezoning of 29.1 acres on West Taft Road for residential and commercial use was adjourned to November 17 to allow for a traffic study.
●SPCA Contract Renewed: The board authorized agreements with the CNY SPCA for dog control and animal cruelty services effective January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028.
●IT Services Renewed: The board renewed a contract with NetManageIT for technology services for one year, starting November 1, 2025.
●Speed Limit Review Adjourned: A proposal to lower the speed limit on the west end of Mud Mill Road from 55 mph to 45 mph was adjourned to November 5.
●Special Districts Hearings Set: Public hearings for the 2026 Special Districts and Fire Protection budgets were scheduled for November 5.
Clay Town Board Approves Major Rezoning for Taft Road, Sets Public Hearing for Battery Storage
●Approved rezoning (Case #1236): 29.1 acres at 5300 W. Taft Road changed from R-10/LuC-2 to R-7.5/O-2 to allow residential and office development (Vote: 7-0).
●Scheduled Public Hearing (Case #1240): Summit Federal Credit Union seeks zone change from O-1 to O-2 at 4955 W. Taft Rd for new construction (Hearing: Feb. 2, 2026).
●Scheduled Public Hearing (Cases #1243 & #1244): Nexamp seeks permits for battery energy storage systems (BESS) on Wetzel Rd and Long Branch Rd (Hearing: Feb. 2, 2026).
●Renewed License: Madison Village Mobile Home Court license renewed for 2026; park reports 52 new homes added in the past year.
●Created Civil Service Positions: Established three full-time positions: Account Clerk 1, Deputy Comptroller, and Senior Recreation Leader.
Community Discussion
0 commentsBe the first to comment on this story.