Hundreds of ex-NYC City Council staffers are about to get coal in their stockings, as the legislative body is demanding they return hundreds of thousands of dollars that was allegedly sent to them \u201cerroneously\u201d as part of a back-pay settlement.<\/p>\n
The former workers were told they had until Dec. 18 to fork over funds ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars \u2014 cash that some stunned workers said they were assured was rightfully theirs and that they had already spent. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a huge burden for working-class former staffers \u2013 especially since they didn\u2019t ask to have the money given to them,\u201d said Matthew Malloy, president of the 400-member council staff union, the Association of Legislative Employees<\/a>. <\/p>\n The directive came from Mychele Gayle, deputy director the Council\u2019s personnel services division, in a Nov. 18 letter that threatened the workers with legal action.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease be advised that failing to reply to this letter may result in the Council referring this matter to the New York City Law Department for appropriate action,\u201d wrote Gayle.<\/p>\n Manhattan Councilwoman Julie Menin, the favorite to be NYC\u2019s next Council speaker, told The Post a screwup leading to ex-Council staffers getting retroactive pay as part of a new union contract and then being threatened a year later with legal action if they don\u2019t return the money warrants an investigation. Nancy Kaszerman\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/p>\n The unionized ex staffers were surprised, especially since the Council in April 2024 agreed to provide the retroactive pay after ironing out a new contract with raises.<\/p>\n Some said they already spent the dough, assuming they qualified for the payments. Some were even told the checks were legitimateafter calling the office of Speaker Adrienne Adams and other Council members.<\/p>\n \u201cThis a gross misappropriation of funds,\u201d said an ex-Council staffer, who already spent her nearly $900 check. \u201cThis is absolutely ridiculous, and someone\u2019s head needs to roll.\u201d<\/p>\n Another ex-Council staffer received roughly $2,000 and spent the unexpected windfall on expenses after having a baby \u2013 and now doesn\u2019t have the financial means to pay it back, the source added.<\/p>\n