Brandon Twp.- Township employees and firefighters? salaries have not kept pace with the rising cost of living over the past eight years, but wages will get another boost with a 2 percent raise to take effect in January.
The Ortonville Village Council unanimously approved a 2 percent wage increase for firefighters at their Nov. 23 meeting. The fire authority recommended the increase and the township board also approved the 2 percent increase for firefighters, as well as a matching wage increase for township employees.
‘I think it’s a great thing,? said Fire Chief Dave Kwapis. ‘All the employees went five years without a raise (during the recession). This will be the third year in a row we have had a raise, but we’re still under the inflation that occurred during the five years we didn’t have raises. We appreciate the raise that the fire authority, the township, and the village approved and are very happy they are supporting our firefighters.?
The raises add about $22,000 in ex-penditures to the $1.8 million fire operations budget.
Township Supervisor Kathy Thurman said the township board approved by a 4-3 vote at a Nov. 19 special meeting, a motion to give a true 2 percent raise to all township and fire department employees, excluding the assessor (who is contracted), township trustees (paid $97 per meeting), board of review (paid per day), and mechanical and electrical inspectors (paid per inspection). Recreation site directors and recreation season employees start at minimum wage with 50-cent increases for each year of additional service to a maximum increase of $13 an hour.
Raises for the township employees, including 11 full-time employees and five part-time employees, will increase the budget expenses by about $13,000.
‘I felt these raises were fair,? said Thurman. ‘The cost of living is increasing this year, somewhere around 1.6 to 1.7 percent and in the past, the township went several years without any increases and the township fund is in a better position as far as fund balance to afford the increases.?
Thurman was joined by Treasurer Terri Darnall and Trustees Bill DeWitt and Liz Waters in voting yes. Clerk Candee Allen and Trustees Dana DePalma and Jayson Rumball voted no.
‘I believe every employee deserves a wage increase,? said Allen, who noted that in 2010, every full-time employee at the township offices took a 5 percent decrease in pay to allow one township employee to remain employed for one more year. ‘I voted no because I didn’t feel the elected officials need a raise every year, just because the employees get it and we have a recreation department we need to take care of. I want the two employees in the recreation department to be paid through the general fund rather than according to income from recreation programs.?