Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Louis Molina is officially stepping down from his post Wednesday, but will keep getting a paycheck from the agency for several weeks until his NYPD pension kicks in, the Daily News has learned.
Molina, an ex-NYPD detective who was outgoing Mayor Adams’ correction commissioner before being moved to the Administrative Services Department role in summer 2024, wrote in a Dec. 23 email to staffers that he’ll stop working in city government on Dec. 31 ahead of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s New Year’s Day inauguration.
But Molina’s email, a copy of which was obtained by The News, stated he will then remain on “end of service leave” from Administrative Services through Jan. 20, a designation that allows him to continue to collect a full paycheck from the agency, according to Administrative Services sources familiar with the matter who described that arrangement as unusual.
Molina, a longtime Adams ally whose tenure as correction commissioner drew criticism for a spike in inmate deaths at Rikers Island, has pulled a $277,000 annual salary as Administrative Services commissioner. That means his three-week leave would add up to about $16,000 in pretax wages.
What is seen as particularly unusual about Molina’s situation, observers say, is the timing.
On the same day he informed Administrative Services employees of his resignation, Molina secured new “vested separation retirement” benefits from the NYPD, from which he retired more than a decade ago as a detective, police pension fund records show. It’s unclear how much money Molina will earn from the new pension, but the records say his benefits will kick in Jan. 21 — the day after his Administrative Services salary officially lapses.
A source familiar with city retirement benefits noted police pensions typically take a month to kick in after they are first awarded, a timeline that lines up with Molina’s situation.
The records describe Molina as a “uniformed member” of the NYPD, but also say he was appearing before the police pension fund in his capacity as an Administrative Services employee. Molina hasn’t served in the NYPD during his time in Adams’ administration, and it’s unclear when he was redesignated as a “uniformed member,” a title that comes with earning pension benefits.
The NYPD pension fund didn’t return a request for comment.
In a statement provided by his office last week, Molina confirmed his retirement, but didn’t answer questions about the terms of his leave or his pension.
“I love this city and am thankful to have worked across five city agencies to serve the residents and the business community that call New York City home,” his statement said.
During mayoral transitions, it’s typical for agency commissioners to stay on until they’re asked otherwise, a standard meant to ensure continuity in government.
Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec said the mayor-elect’s team didn’t request Molina’s resignation before he announced it. The incoming mayor could have the power to rescind Molina’s “end of service leave” arrangement.
Unless Mamdani appoints someone else, Molina’s top deputy, Carolina Chavez, will take over on an acting basis as the top honcho at Administrative Services, which handles city agency recruitment efforts and manages the municipal government’s real estate portfolio.
In his resignation email to staff, Molina wrote he’s “confident that [the Citywide Administrative Services Department] will play a strategic role in moving the incoming administration’s agenda forward, from childcare to affordable housing.”
“I am excited for all of you to be a part of the next chapter in our city’s history and know that I will be cheering you on — today and always,” Molina wrote.
With Graham Rayman
