Members of the Leighton Township Board Thursday evening granted themselves a modest 5 percent pay raise, below the rate of inflation.

Starting April 1, Supervisor Steve Wolbrink will earn annual salary of $26,250, Treasurer Jackie Bultsema and Clerk Rachel Fennema both will get $37,170 and Trustees John Hooker and Brian Bonnema will be paid $4,830 apiece.

The salaries were determined before the 2024-25 fiscal year budget is to be adopted.

In other business at Thursday’s meeting, the board:

• Agreed to a 4.67% increase for the annual bill from the Wayland Area Emergency Services, moving it to $31,803. Bultsema cast the lone dissenting vote, indicating her displeasure with WAEMS representatives promising a year ago that there would be no increase. “But I understand that costs have gone up,” she said.
• Heard from Fire Chief Matt Weston that January may have been the department’s busiest month ever because of traffic accidents associated with the storm and cold in the middle of the month. “It was just a crazy month we had,” he lamented.
• Noted the annual meeting of the Green Lake Sewer Authority will be March 6.
• Accepted the low bid of $31,867.50 from SMB for dust control bids, for three applications on 34.5 miles of unpaved roads.
• Noted there were five building permits granted for five new residences in January, with average of $319,946.
• Fielded a request from Hooker to have a large American flag on the property at the old Moline Elementary School, which the township now owns.
• Agreed to renew the franchise for electrical service from Consumers Energy, to be used for maintenance.