As anticipated, there was a lengthy and contentious debate Thursday night over a proposed pay raise for Dorr Township Board officials, fueling yet another three-hour marathon meeting.
A special committee of three persons was appointed last month to discuss the issue, and their recommendation of a 3% increase in salary for each of the next three years for the supervisor, clerk and treasurer eventually was approved. This means Supervisor Jeff Miling, Clerk Debbie Sewers and Treasurer Jim Martin will be paid $2,266 each month for the last six months of the year 2018. Another 3% raise will kick in at the beginning of 2019 and yet another 3% in January 2020.
Trustees John Tuinstra and Terri Rios were not happy about “compounding” the pay increases each year, but Trustee Dan Weber noted that appears to be the common rate of inflation for each year. And Martin contended Dorr Township Board members had received only one raise since 2004.
All agreed to scrap a proposal for a raise for township trustees to $4,000 a year.
Miling, who said the three officials are paid on the assumption they work 22.5 hours per week are “working full-time jobs for part-time wages.
“Our jobs do not stop when we leave the office,” noting he often attends meetings and provides services to township groups as needed.
Michelle Edsall from the audience said, “I wouldn’t object to a 3% raise,” but she did object to Martin’s proposal a month ago that the clerk, supervisor and treasurer be bumped up to $32,000 because they hadn’t received increases except once in 14 years.
She told Miling, “What hear (from you) is that ‘if I don’t get a raise, I’m just going to bide my time for the next two years… What you’re asking for is a 23.8% increase.”
The supervisor, clerk and treasurer have been making $26,400 annually, and a 3% raise would make that amount $27,192. But Martin pointed out because it wouldn’t take effect until July 1, the raise actually would be for just 1.5 percent over last year.
Rios moved to have the issue tabled again, just like it had been in April, when a committee of Trustees Tuinstra, Dan Weber and citizen Chandler Stanton was appointed to hash things out and then come to the board with a recommendation.
The motion to table was defeated 4-3. Rios was joined by Sewers and Tuinstra, while Martin, Miling, Weber and Josh Otto voted against it.
Otto then moved to implement a 3% increase and it passed 5-2, with Sewer joining the majority.
The board also had a lengthy and unproductive discussion about health care and dental care for two employees, office manager Vicki Fifelski and maintenance supervisor Jarod Simon, and the clerk, supervisor and treasurer. Nothing was decided about handling an increase from $20,242 to $30,593 for both insurance plans.
It was noted that insurance companies may drop Dorr Township if the plans included fewer than five employees.
