By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – National Copper Products' Dowagiac demise figured in Thursday afternoon's Cass County Board of Commissioners discussion of 2009 pay raises.
Elected officials got their recommended 2.5-percent increases after some wrangling, but in a 14-1 vote commissioners vetoed any more pay either next year or in 2010 for themselves.
Chairman Robert Wagel, R-Wayne Township, going second, cast the only yes vote.
Commissioner Ed Goodman, D-Silver Creek Township, led off the debate by commenting, "I heard that National Copper in Dowagiac is going to be closing. I know we gave generous raises last year. We also spent $29,000 for a classification and compensation study" which will be completed in 2009. I recommend we don't pass this. I don't want to jeopardize anybody losing their jobs in this economy. I know that right now we have people doing double duty because we've already cut back in their departments. I'm for sticking with what we have and protecting it."
Initially, elected officials' salaries and commissioners' pay were bundled together in the same motion, necessitating votes to separate them.
"I'm only referring to our commissioners' wages," commented Commissioner Gordon Bickel, R-Porter Township. "We have a lot of people laid off and a lot of people with no work. We're under tight budgets. I favor keeping commissioners' salaries as they are right now.
"I agree with Gordon," said Commissioner Dixie Ann File, R-Cassopolis. "I'd like to vote separately."
"I also agree with Ed and Gordon," added Commissioner Debbie Johnson, D-Niles. "At this time, with the way the economy is, these are good wages. I wish I made that. I have to work two and three jobs and I don't break $25,000 a year. I just feel it would look bad as a board for us to vote these wages in when there are so many people unemployed and suffering."
Commissioner Carl Higley Sr., R-Edwardsburg, said union employees earned similar increases and elected officials for whom they work are doing a good job.
"However," Higley said, "I agree with Commissioner Goodman and I move we amend this motion to vote on the county board separate from the other county elected officials."
"I detect that people do not want to put a raise in for we commissioners – and I can agree with that," concurred Commissioner David Taylor, D-Edwardsburg.
"I would caution commissioners that your salary can only be increased every two years," Wagel pointed out. "The chair would also remind commissioners that the rate of inflation is around 5 percent."
"Commissioners are part-time," Higley responded. "We're staying well within our budget with the financial people we've got. We have the best financial statement in the state."
"I agree wholeheartedly with Commissioner Higley," stated Commissioner Charlie Arnold, R-Cassopolis. "We are part-time. The other people are fulltime. We're not completely dependent on this salary for our livelihood. They are. I would like to separate it."
Commissioner Robert Ziliak, R-Niles, argued a different tack.
"If elected officials get a 2.5-percent increase," Ziliak reasoned, "we as commissioners should get that 2.5-percent increase. I was going to vote no on that original motion" made by Commissioner Cathy Goodenough, R-Marcellus. "Everybody should be treated equally. Why wouldn't we deserve a 2.5-percent increase when the sheriff does? There's no reason. We're exactly the same. I was not in favor of the original motion. If the other people get an increase, commissioners deserve an increase, but at this time I don't think anybody deserves an increase.
"I think everybody should be held at their current wages with the economy the way it is in Michigan. Our revenues are going to be decreasing. We should be setting up a finance committee to start reviewing our budgets and to start tightening our belts and making cuts, I think. We're constantly upping the budget, and I don't think the revenue's going to be there to make up the difference. I think we're to the point of overspending our amount of revenue and constantly taking from our reserve. We're spending too extensively right now," Ziliak said.
For example, Michigan required that the county demolish the house on Curtis Lake before it would exchange that land for the Dodd Park property.
This was done by Merrill Excavating of Dowagiac for $3,800.
Commissioner Johnie Rodebush, D-Niles, confirmed with County Administrator Terry Proctor that the budget contains the funds to cover the proposed raises.
Proctor also pointed out it will be recommended at the last November meeting that non-union salaries be boosted 2.5 percent as well.
"I know that these are difficult times and these are tough calls to make," Proctor said. "Elected officials don't have collective bargaining or the right to form a union. I would caution you that the committee that worked on this, plus all the commissioners who attended, information was collected about what clerks, registers and sheriffs make in other counties, and that's how they came up with their recommendations. Those recommendations were not made in a vacuum. In fact, there were people on the committee who felt raises should be 2 percent and there were people on the committee who felt raises should be higher than 2.5 percent. This is a compromise decision and recommendation of your committee that looked into this."
"I sat on the ad hoc committee," Vice Chairman Ron Francis said, "and I did vote for both sides of this – elected officials and commissioners. I urge you to support the elected officials and department heads. They've contributed considerably to where we are today financially."
"I don't want to jeopardize the elected officials' salaries. I don't," said Goodenough. "I personally don't care if I get a raise or not. That doesn't mean anything to me. But I feel (elected officials) have worked hard. We're not even giving them cost of living."
Rodebush moved to postpone action, seconded by Commissioner Bill Steele, D-Vandalia, deferring a vote until December to "see what happens. There are layoffs. Every time somebody else forecloses, that's taxes you don't get."
"I don't see that putting this thing off for another month is going to make any substantial difference," Dowagiac Commissioner John Cureton countered. "We ought to get it out of the way today instead of having to go through this whole thing again in another month."
Rodebush withdrew his postponement motion after further debate.
The board then voted 10-5 on an amendment to separate out commissioner salaries, with Goodman, Wagel, Johnson, Steele and Ziliak opposed.
"The increase for commissioners is $1,664 a year for all of us," said Commissioner Minnie Warren, D-Pokagon Township.
The board Aug. 7 authorized Wagel to appoint a committee to recommend 2009 elected officials' salaries, including the 2009-2010 commission elected Tuesday which takes office Jan. 1, 2009
Wagel appointed Goodenough as committee chair, and Commissioners Dixie Ann File, Minnie Warren, Vice Chairman Francis and Chairman Wagel as members.
The panel met Aug. 21 and Sept. 18, reviewing salaries and retirement programs for elected officials in Barry, Branch, Hillsdale, Ionia, Isabella, Montcalm, Sanilac, St. Joseph, Tuscola and Van Buren counties.