(The Center Square) — The cost to taxpayers for New York City firefighter pensions is continuing to rise, according to a new report by a fiscal watchdog group, which said the average annual payout surpassed $170,000 last year.
The Empire Center for Public Policy’s latest data on its SeeThroughNY government transparency website shows of the 430 New York Fire Department retirees last year who left the force after at least 20 years of service, at least 108 were eligible for pensions over $200,000, according to the report. Nearly 95%, or 405 retirees, were eligible for six-figure pensions.
The highest pension among all retirees went to former Capt. Patrick McEvoy, who was eligible for $404,730 in FY2025 after retiring in March, 2022, according to the report. The next highest eligible pensions went to Michael Ajello, assistant chief of department, $387,579; John Sudnik, Chief of Department, $385,179; Terence O’Connor, firefighter, 368,052 and Frederick Saporito, captain, $362,992, the data shows…