April 15, 2025
CANISTEO, NY – On Monday night there was a public hearing at the Canisteo Town Hall, about possibly passing a local law about what the pay should be for Canisteo Town Clerk Steve Cotton. However, because of objections from Canisteo resident Richard Stewart, the town board decided to have another public hearing before next month’s regular meeting, and they will revisit the issue at that time.
Stewart has been fighting the board on this for months. He maintains that the town clerk, who is getting paid $17,500 a year, should not also be getting paid $17,000, as a buyout for not taking the town’s health insurance. Stewart also gave the town board members a memo he had written, which compared the agreements which town and village employees have with what the Canisteo Town Clerk’s proposed contract calls for. Stewart’s memo also compared the $17,000 Cotton might recieve, with the amounts paid to county and state workers, in buyouts to county and state employees who do not sign up for insurance from their government jobs. Stewart’s memo states that Cotton works an 18 hour week.
Stewart also says, the proposed local law about changing the salary, was not posted enough days in advance. On this point, the town board agreed with him, and on the advice of Canisteo Town Attorney William Thew, the public hearing was rescheduled for next month, to be held at 6:45pm on the night of next month’s meeting.
Town Clerk Steve Cotton said last night that he wants the $17,000 dollars, because he’s putting in a lot of hours. Cotton also said, if he does not get the $17,000 he asked for, he’ll resign.
