WHO IS LOOKING OUT FOR THE PEOPLE????

I have been reviewing the proposed 2018-2019 Municipal budget, which currently has a $1,900,000.00 increase over last year’s budget.  I am going to show some outstanding differences. 

 

Let’s start with the biggest irresponsible act of all.  It is a pay increase for all employees disguised as Cost-of-Living-Allowance (COLA).  All town employees, regardless of their position, have been receiving this for the past eight-ten years.  This year is no exception.  COLA was created by the Federal government to off-set inflation but is used to ensure ALL employees receive a wage increase EVERY year regardless of the economy.

 

DEPT HEAD                          2018 Salary             2019 Proposed      Difference

Town Manager                   $95,047.00              $96,482.00              $1,435.00

Assessing Director                58,565.00                59,452.00                    887.00

Code Enforcement               73,090.00                77,777.00                 4,687.00

Finance Director                   75,394.00                77,228.00                 1,834.00

Town Clerk Director            54,217.00                56,560.00                 2,343.00

Chief of Police                       76,130.00               77,270.00                 1,140.00

Fire Chief                                69,797.00                75,005.00                 5,208.00

EMS Director                           1,523.00                   1,546.00                        23.00

Public Works Director        42,246.00               75,005.00              32,759.00

Solid Waste  Director          21,123.00                          0.00              -21,123.00

Recreation Director             61,014.00                61,922.00                     908.00

Library Director                    51,788.00                54,089.00                  2,301.00

General Assistance Dir       10,353.00                10,508.00                     155.00

Economic Director               53,878.00                57,276.00                  3,398.00

Treatment Plant Dir            21,123.00                82,717.00                61,594.00

                                                                                                TOTAL           $97,549.00

 

Ryan Leighton

Public Works Director      $42,246.00

Solid Waste Director          21,123.00

Treatment Plant Director  21,123.00

                        TOTAL          $84,492.00  in 2018

(Not bad for an individual with no qualification for any position)

 

Now, I dare anyone to show me an equal means to justify the difference in salaries.  These salaries were determined by the Town Manager, Diane Barnes and I cannot understand how they were determined, maybe by favoritism. 

 

The total increase, for just the Department Heads, is $97,549.00 by my calculator.  I believe that there are approximately 100 town employees and this is just 15 employees.  So what is this COLA increase going to total for the other 85 employees?

 

I can never remember getting a $1,400.00 dollars pay increase every year and I worked for forty years.  Can any of you citizens remember when you did?  This is not only wrong but totally irresponsible on the part of the Town Manager and the Town Council as a whole.  We, the people, hired or elected these individuals to represent our best interest and as far as I am concerned they failed measurable.  

 

I will be reporting on numerous other problems with this proposed budget but I know that it will not make a difference to either the Town Manager or the Town Council.

 

 I hope, the people, remember these discrepancies in November.

 

Larry Fillmore