Public Safety Commissioner Michael Kopy will remain at the helm of the city’s police and fire departments after the state approved a waiver allowing him to continue in that paid role, while also collecting a pension from the New York State Police.
The state Civil Service Commission approved the city’s Section 211 waiver application on Jan. 14, in an effort to maintain continuity in Rye, allowing the commissioner to continue overseeing the city’s emergency preparedness efforts and coordination of public safety operations.
“I’m happy that I will be able to continue to serve the residents of Rye for as long as they wish me to stay,” Kopy said.
The state approval is for a two-year period and any extension beyond that would require another 211 waiver application, according to City Manager Brian Shea.
In the meantime, Kopy, who lives in Mamaroneck, will continue double dipping, collecting roughly $340,000 a year in total compensation, based on a review of city and state records. The waiver permits him to receive his $115,800 annual state pension from his career with the state police, while working a paid position in Rye.
He joined the city in 2021 under a 211 waiver following his tenure as the state’s director of emergency management under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Documents obtained by The Record through a Freedom of Information Law request show that Kopy’s contract with the city includes a base salary of $195,000, as well as a $25,000 yearly stipend in place of health insurance coverage, which he maintains through his state pension. The agreement also allows Kopy to use a city vehicle for official business, with travel permitted within a 50-mile radius of Rye at no personal cost.
Photo courtesy Rye TV
Shea said the waiver extension reflects both the city’s confidence in Kopy’s leadership and the state’s recognition of his qualifications.
“I’m grateful that the New York State Civil Service Commission has extended this waiver and pleased that Commissioner Kopy will continue to serve as Rye’s Public Safety Commissioner,” Shea said. “The City of Rye is fortunate to have someone with Michael Kopy’s breadth and depth of experience and skill in this role.”
The approval comes after the City Council considered, but ultimately tabled, a proposal lat fall to separate the city’s combined police and fire departments. The departments were first split after a public referendum overwhelmingly backed the plan in 2016.
