Former City Manager Sues Long Beach For Vacation Pay: Attorney

LONG BEACH, NY — A former Long Beach city manager is suing Long Beach for separation pay to owed accrued sick leave and vacation time.

Rob Agostisi worked for the city of Long Beach in a legal capacity from 2006 to 2019. He was acting city manager from Feb. 2019 to Sept. 2019.

"With respect to sick time, employees are entitled to 30 percent of their accrual. With respect to vacation time, which is in the same subsection of the code, it says employees get no more than 50 days," Agostisi's attorney Rick Ostrove told Patch.

The sprawling 63-page complaint points to the political climate in Long Beach.

City Council President John Bendo is also named a defendant.

"It seems pretty clear if you look at the entire complaint that there's been a political movement to try and attack the exempt and the people who didn't go along with the new- wave Democrats," Ostrove said.

Agostisi's lawyer says his client was just doing his job as a civil servant.

"Instead of taking days off, Rob worked hard and he accrued days, pursuant to a legitimately, lawfully executed contract," Ostrove said. "It's outrageous that they're not paying them."

The city of Long Beach said they are not commenting on the matter at this time.

"I am hopeful and confident that Rob is going to be made whole, one way or another," Ostrove said. "It's up to the city if they want to do the right thing. So far they haven't."