With little rebuttal, Tooele County Commissioners approved a 12 percent annual pay increase for 2015 for themselves, despite a room full of angry citizens who told them the pay hike was unacceptable.
Other county employees and elected officials received a 3 percent cost of living adjustment during Tuesday night’s commission meeting that included a public hearing on the proposed pay increase for the commissioners.
“I am embarrassed by the three of you gentlemen,” Brian McFadden, resident of Erda, told the commissioners after the 2-1 vote to approve the salary increase. “After you campaigned on a balanced budget and what’s best for the county, you sit there and vote for that rate? I am amazed and disgusted.”
The increase in commissioners’ annual salary, billed on the agenda and public notice as a “salary adjustment,” will raise the annual gross salary of a Tooele County Commissioner for 2015 from $69,959 to $78,491. That’s an $8,532 or 12 percent annual increase.
To reach $78,491 by the end of 2015 the current pay of county commissioners will jump 24 percent for the next six months.
Commissioner Chairman Wade Bitner and Commissioner Myron Bateman voted for the salary adjustment. Commissioner Shawn Milne opposed the increase.
“It’s just not appropriate at this time,” he said.
In a Wednesday morning interview with the Transcript Bulletin, Milne promised to give away his increase.
“I’ve talked it over with my wife,” he said. “I don’t want to create a pay disparity for the commissioner that follows me, so we have agreed to donate the pay increase to local causes.”
In discussions with the Transcript Bulletin prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Bitner and Bateman indicated that they would maintain the 24 percent monthly increase in 2016.
They both stated they wanted to raise the commissioners’ annual salary to equal the annual salary of the sheriff in 2016.
The sheriff’s annual salary for 2016 will be $87,023 if the pay rate for the sheriff remains at the current level, including the 3 percent mid-year COLA for 2015, according to Jami McCourt, Tooele County human resources director.
If the commissioners maintain their new monthly pay when they adopt the 2016 budget the annual salary of a commissioner would increase to $87,023, a 24 percent increase from their initial annual 2015 salary of $69,959.
“The county commissioners, as the executive officers of the county, should make as much as other department heads and elected officials that also supervise employees,” Bitner told the Transcript Bulletin on Wednesday evening.
However, at press time today, Bateman and Bitner called the Transcript Bulletin newsroom to report they revisited the salary adjustment discussion following Tuesday night’s meeting.
The current intention of the two commissioners is to keep the commissioners’ annual salary at $78,491 for 2016, a 12 percent annual increase over their initial 2015 salary, they said.
Twelve people spoke at the public hearing, and all opposed the salary adjustment for the commissioners.
Chris Holland, a Tooele County Sheriff’s office employee, said she doesn’t disagree with the idea of a raise for commissioners, but she favors a smaller incremental increase.
“I don’t disagree that the commissioners should have their rate increased in comparison to other elected officials,” she said. “But I don’t understand why they need all of this at once. It’s not right.”
Tooele resident Raymond Dixon also opposed the salary adjustment for the commissioners.
“I am mad as hell,” he said. “A 67 percent tax increase less than a year ago and now this? The other officials and county employees got a 3 percent increase. How has the cost of living gone up eight times that for you? It hasn’t. A 3 percent COLA, I have no objection, but 24 percent in one year is ridiculous.”
Frank Shafer of Tooele said there are other needs in the county that need to be taken care of before raises for commissioners are considered.
“The Children’s Justice Center needs repairs,” he said. “Salary increases should take a back seat to protecting our children.”
Shafer referred to the words “liberty and justice” in the pledge of allegiance that started the commission meeting.
“Liberty and justice,” he said. “I don’t see this as justice. I see this as injustice. It needs to re-evaluated.”
Susan Kroff, a retired county employee, also said the timing of the raises was wrong.
“You are premature in asking for an increase,” she said. “It is not right at this time. There are other things in this community we need to take care of before you guys get this increase.”
Tooele City resident Vernon Denman wanted to know what he as a taxpayer would get from his investment in higher wages for commissioners.
“Where is the increase in duties, responsibilities, and services?” he asked.
Kami Perkins, Tooele City resident, expressed concerns about the timing of the proposed increase, which follows a significant tax increase for the county, she said.
“I ask you as a taxpayer to please be more conservative and slow down,” she said. “I don’t want another tax increase.”
Immediately after closing the hearing, Bateman made a motion to approve the resolution. There was no discussion among the commissioners, nor an explanation or acknowledgment of the public testimony just heard.
Bitner seconded the motion and called for a vote of all in favor. Bateman and Bitner both said “aye” and Bitner declared the motion passed.
However, Bitner failed to call for any negative votes. Milne leaned forward and asked Tooele County Clerk Marilyn Gillette to make note of his “nay” vote.
Above an audible hum of murmuring voices in the audience, a few random shouts could be clearly heard.
“You just voted yourself a raise. On my back!”
“Shameful.”
“Are you even listening?”
“We’ll remember this at election time!”
Bateman, just over six months into his first term as commissioner, replied that he will not run for re-election.
Wednesday morning, Bateman said that prior to Tuesday’s public hearing, he had heard from several people who supported the pay increase, but weren’t at the meeting.
“I heard from more people that supported the pay increase than opposed it,” he said.
For Bateman the increase is about full-time pay for full-time work.
“This is a full-time job. It can’t be done in 20 hours a week,” he said.