Whether called a ‘car allowance,? ‘stipend,? or ‘salary pay,? Trustee Neil Wallace believes money handling should be up to the Township Board.
‘Merely having something budgeted both by law and by our practice is not enough. It has to come back to the township board for approval.” Wallace said at the Oct 6 regular board meeting. ‘We need to get the process right about how we do these things; we’ve got a lot of tough decisions, which should be made on good information and in the open by the seven of us.”
He was referring to the Dec. 31, 2008 memorandum sent from Supervisor Dave Wagner to Assistant Finance Director Renee Poole, directing her to up car allowances for the supervisor, clerk and treasurer and three other township employees by an extra $100 a month starting January, 1, 2009.
The board took action on four different motions. The first was a 4-3 vote that the memo by the supervisor is ‘determined to be void and invalid.? Wagner, Petterson, and Carson voted against. The board also voted unanimous that all (extra) monies received by the invalid memo be repaid by elected officials and to adjust the 2009 budget by removing the car allowances as well as removing the increases from the 2010 budget for these same car allowances.
Lastly there was a 5-2 vote to eliminated car allowances for the supervisor, clerk and treasurer for the starting term of a new township board in 2012.Wagner and Carson voted ‘no.?
According to the memo, the $100 per month increase was ‘included and approved in the 2009 budget.? However, Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen did not accept the $100 increase because it had not been approved by the board and repaid the extra amount she was given.
Treasurer Curt Carson said he talked to three different attorneys and after looking into the matter, decided against accepting the increase and also paid back any extra he was given.
‘I was questioning that because the supervisor said it was stipend,? Carson said. ‘They (the lawyers) said ‘no, the way it was set up was payroll deduction, it’s salary, therefore the board would have to approve each individual increase for elected officials.??
Wagner who also stopped his increase after being approached by the clerk and treasurer said he is paying the extra amount back.
Trustee David Lohmeier said he was glad both the clerk and treasurer paid back the extra amounts, but was less forgiving of Wagner and felt they should have never been in this situation.
While looking at the supervisor Lohmeier said ‘We don’t seem to have time when we’re making this decision to check with the board, but we always have time to clean up this mess.?
? This is very cut and dry to me,? hes said. ‘The board is supposed to set compensation, period. I’m tired of memos to the assistant finance director telling her to do things that we should have known about.?
Trustee Larry Rosso the board should lead by example with cost cutting measures.
‘We should eliminate all car allowances totally (for the three full-time elected) beginning Nov. 1 of this year and not wait until 2012,? he said. ‘This is what’s being done in Oakland County, this is what’s being done in Orion Township — which is having some financially difficulties like we’re going to face. They’re just ahead of the eight ball on dealing with their budget and we’re not.?
VanderVeen agreed.
‘My husband works for Oakland County and he just took a decrease in pay,? she said. ‘I think it would be a good step and show we all realize what we’re facing to give up those car allowances with the next pay period when it would be on our check.?
Trustee Mark Petterson agreed that no one should receive car salaries, but he also doesn’t ‘expect the three full-time elected to do things for free.?
‘In fact for us to even suggest they do something for free would be, in my view, illegal,? Petterson said. ‘I feel our three full-time officials have honor, dignity, integrity, and I believe it should be left up to them and them alone, not for this board to take it away from them.?
Rosso argued they wouldn’t be doing it for free because they can submit mileage reimbursement for business activities.
‘That is a valid way to collect compensation for those business trips that are required. There’s some discretion there and we can monitor that by our monthly statements or check run,? he said. ‘In other words, we want to treat the elected officials the same way we treat all the other employees on the same compensation mechanism.?