Despite Michigan’s economic hardships, record local foreclosures, and tighter home budgets, Independence Township Board trustees voted themselves three percent raises.
A 5-2 vote Feb. 5 upped trustee salaries from $392.85 a month to $405 for two regular meetings, and $106 for special meetings, up from $102.52. Raises for the township board are effective Feb. 5.
Supervisor Dave Wagner, Clerk Shelagh Vanderveen, Treasurer Jim Wenger, and trustees Charles Dunn and Larry Rosso voted for the raise. Trustees Dan Kelly and Dan Travis voted against.
‘We are in bad economic times, so if it’s a job that you don’t do out of money, but a job that you do for other reasons, then why not save the three percent for the township,? Travis said. ‘I think it is a part of public service sector and that’s what goes with the job.?
Final budget figures are not ready yet, but Wagner anticipates a surplus this year, he said.
The raise applies to all four trustees, supervisor, clerk, and treasurer, as well as non-union department heads. Salary increases for department heads and other fulltime, non-union employees are retroactive to Jan. 1.
Salaries now range from $42,000 to $78,000 annually.
Supervisor Dave Wagner recommended the pay raises based on the three-percent raises already approved for union employees with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employee, and the inflation rate of 2.3 percent. Trustees deserve the raise for the ‘time and dedication? they give, he said.
Trustees? pay increase should reflect full-time elected officials, Rosso said.
‘That’s the only way that we value anyone in our society, doctors and engineers, is their compensation, even people that make very nominal money as part-time employees, wherever they may work,? he said.
Freezing trustee salaries would ‘devalue the role of the trustee,? he said.
Vanderveen agreed.
‘Speaking for myself, I value the time that you’ve spend. You come into the township office, we share ideas, we bounce ideas off each other and I value all of you. I certainly don’t want this to diminish what you do,? she said. ‘When it comes down to the actual money, it’s not a lot. If we can at least put this forward in appreciation for what you do for this board and this township, I think you should take the increase.?
‘I think what we’re looking for here is to say ‘what is good for the goose is good for the gander,?? said Wenger. ‘To discriminate between the part time trustees and the full time, to me, is asinine.?
Wagner said he also appreciates input from trustees.
‘It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree with me,? he said. ‘We’ve had those disagreements, a lot of them over this last year. I think it’s very healthy and I do appreciate it and I think that you should be rewarded.?
Dunn said his concern was whether or not trustees were fairly compensated.
‘I agree with Mr. Travis we’re not here to make money, but we should at least evaluate whether or not that the amount of time that’s put in and the amount of cost that we do incur,? he said.
Dunn suggested between now and the election time for positions,
The board should take a look at other townships and what their trustees do, he said.
‘We would probably want to look at this sooner than later because we do have an election coming,? he said. ‘Then at least people coming into it will know what it is and we can move ahead. It’s not an issue where we are necessarily voting for our own raises.?
Local attorney and resident Neil Wallace said the problem is officials voting on their own salaries.
‘They ought to have somebody looking at that and giving them an objective opinion, so we’re confident as citizens that their conduct is not just self serving,? Wallace said.
‘I understand that this three percent is in keeping with inflation, but to just do three percent across the board for elected officials without any study of what’s right seems to me to be misguided. You hear others say ‘other communities give more.? What other communities? Are they communities of comparable size and effort??