(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.
Those figures include benefits from an optional program that allows members to make extra contributions to the pension plan, and the pension fund’s “Variable Supplement Fund” and “Christmas bonus” programs, the center said.
At least 784 retirees were eligible for pensions over $200,000, 34% more than the previous year’s total of 584. Out of these, 46 were eligible for pensions over $300,000, quadrupling since last year’s tally of 11.
FDNY pensions are constitutionally guaranteed by New York taxpayers and exempt from New York State income tax. New York City government retirees, including firefighters, also receive city health care coverage at no cost.
Overall, the Empire Center’s analysis shows that while the total number of retirees remained consistent over the last decade, the share of retirees eligible for six-figure pensions has tripled.
The average pension of all 15,958 New York City Fire Pension Fund retirees – including those with fewer than 20 years in service — came to $98,921 as of fiscal year 2025, up 51% from $65,364 a decade ago, the center said.
The New York City Fire Pension Fund is required to provide the pension data after a 2014 state Supreme Court ruling — based on a lawsuit filed by the Empire Center — held that the public has the right to know the names as well as pension amounts of retired employees.
A June report by the Empire Center said data collected from the New York City Employees’ Retirement System showed total payments climbed to $6.05 billion in 2024, a 5% increase since 2023. The report said while the total number of pensioners grew only 9% in the last five years — from 147,459 in 2019 to 160,759 in 2024 — the number of six-figure pensioners nearly tripled to 3,060 during that period.
