September 26, 2008
Community college president up for $37,000 bonus
Despite a state budget freeze, despite rising property taxes, despite clamor over college costs, Onondaga Community College President Debbie Sydow may pocket a "performance" bonus as big as $37,000.
Board Chairman David Murphy says the bonus would recognize Syndow's outstanding work at the 11,000-student, two-year college. He cited her efforts to improve college finances, campus management, student enrollment, housing and capital projects.
According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, the bonus could be as high as $37,000, or 20 percent of her 2007-08 salary of $185,000. Her current base salary is $195,000.
Murphy said Sydow also received a performance incentive last year. Last year's bonus was $35,000, which was 20 percent of her 2006-07 salary, college records show.
College records show no other performance incentives were awarded. But the OCC board offered Sydow another bonus in 2006--a $35,000 lump-sum payment for remaining at the college through her three-year contract. In 2005, the board approved a $97,500 lump-sum bonus if she stays through 2011.
Murphy said the amount of this year's bonus has not been determined.
He said the money will come from the OCC's operating budget, which receives about 47 percent of its funding from the state and county and about 49 percent from student tuition and fees.
Sydow's compensation package is unusual, if unprecedented, for local government jobs in the Syracuse area. The Syracuse Common Council, Syracuse school district and Onondaga County Legislature do not award employees extra pay for doing a good job, the newspaper found. Nor do Tompkins-Cortland, Cayuga or Mohawk Valley Community Colleges.
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