Mason County, the comment below is so important that it would be a shame to leave it buried in the previous blog posting (Did They or Didn't They?). Some readers might miss it. So as not to risk this occurring, below is a very clear explanation. Thanks to Monty for taking the time to explain this in language that we can understand.
Brenda,
The State Constitution Art XI, Sec 8 precludes increases (EXCEPT as authorized in Art XXX Sec 1) or decreases in county official's salaries during their term of office or after their election.
Art XXX, Sec 1 allows for mid-term increases in salaries of county officials IF THEY DO NOT FIX THEIR OWN COMPENSATION--which excludes county commissioners since they set their compensation.
In the case of officials who set their own salary, these two provisions have been consistently interpreted to say that if the increase is established prior to the term starting, that is constitutionally acceptable. So, I think it was Res 85-01 which set a regular 3% annual increase for the commissioners. (I'm not 100% sure of the Res. numbers since I don't have the documents here at home--I know you find that surprising!)
There was another salary adjustment made by resolution which is visible in the salary change 2004-2005 which would have been at the turn of office terms for Districts 1 and 2. This resulted in all three positions being paid the same until 2009. Prior to the start of the 2009-2012 term, the BOCC suspended the 3% increase authorized in Res. 85-01 for Districts 1 and 2--the two positions starting a new term. The BOCC could not suspend the 3% increase for District 3 because that position was mid-term (1/2007-12/2010)
So this year, with District 3 at the change of terms, the BOCC rebalanced the salaries by a one year suspending of the 3% annual increase authorized in Res 85-01 for District 3 only.
In a much shorter explanation: District 1 and 2 did not GIVE themselves a raise this year BUT they GOT a 3% raise because of Res 85-01. On the other hand, the BOCC could not have prevented District 1 and 2 from getting the 3% because of Res 85-01 and ART XI sec 8 because it would have reduced a predetermined salary.
and you are correct: at the 3% a year clip, the 2020 salary will be about $102,250.
For District 3 Ross Gallagher who's up for reelection, let's be sure to ask him what he's done to change Resolution 85-01. For Lynda and Tim let's shame them everywhere we see them - grocery store, restaurant, Democratic party functions (yes, they both are), Post Office, etc..... You get my drift? Shame on you, Tim and Lynda. Ross, you need to do some real quick work to make us believe that you work for us.
Meanwhile, the Sheriff's Deputies have not had a pay raise or a contract in 41 months while the commissioners have been "forced" to see their salaries increase. Mason County, are you as outraged as I am?
Showing posts with label commissioners salary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commissioners salary. Show all posts
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Did They or Didn't They?
Did Tim and Ross approve an increase in salary in 2011 for Tim and Lynda? Tim and Ross say they didn't but I know two other people who follow county business closely left the May 25 BOCC meeting believing that Tim and Ross had approved the salary increase for Tim and Lynda.
I know what you're probably thinking - she's stuck on the commissioners' salary increase just like she got stuck on Harmony Hill not being funded by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. You could be right. By the way, the LTAC still hasn't met to reconsider Harmony Hill in spite of 102 citizens asking the BOCC to give Harmony Hill a grant from the Hotel Motel Tax Fund
as the BOCC has done for other equally worthy events . But the commissioners have weighed the opinion of 102 citizens against the LTAC's five members and have decided to go with whatever the LTAC recommends. (Another reason why Ross is in trouble. Five votes or 102 votes??? hmmmm)
Back to the pay raise, I got a copy of the recently signed resolution which I'm including below so that all of us are on the same sheet of music. My objective is to help folks understand not to confuse everyone.
RESOLUTION NO. 42-10
A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE 2011 MASON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' SALARIES
WHEREAS, the Board suspended salary increases for Elected Officials for the year 2009 with exception to the 3rd District County Commissioner due to the Washington State Constitution precluding any change mid-term for County Commissioner positions. This resulted in the 3rd District Commissioner being paid 3% more than Districts 1 and 2 Commissioners.
WHEREAS, in 2010, all three County Commissioners received a salary increase of 3% as established by Resolution 85-01. No adjustment could be made to equalize the salaries due to the Constitution precluding any change mid-term for County Commissioner positions.
WHEREAS, in 2011 the 3rd District County Commissioner will start a new term and it is the desire of the Commissioners to have all three Commissioners paid the same salary.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED to suspend the 3% increase for the 3rd District County Commissioner.
Approved this 25th day of May 2010.
Signed by Ross Gallagher and Tim Sheldon with Lynda Ring Erickson absent.
Mason County, what does this resolution mean? I clearly get that District 3's (Ross' position) salary is frozen. But will Lynda and Tim get a 3% increase in salary in 2011? We may just have to wait to see what happens in the 2011 budget development process.
In the meantime, let's ask Monty Cobb (current deputy prosecutor) who is running for County Prosecutor where he comes down on the commissioners' annual pay raise, the Washington State Constitution and Mason County Resolution 85-01. Monty signed off on the above resolution. Maybe he can explain all of this to us before we get our ballots.
Shenanigans like this make the public even more cynical and further erode trust in public institutions.
I know what you're probably thinking - she's stuck on the commissioners' salary increase just like she got stuck on Harmony Hill not being funded by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. You could be right. By the way, the LTAC still hasn't met to reconsider Harmony Hill in spite of 102 citizens asking the BOCC to give Harmony Hill a grant from the Hotel Motel Tax Fund
as the BOCC has done for other equally worthy events . But the commissioners have weighed the opinion of 102 citizens against the LTAC's five members and have decided to go with whatever the LTAC recommends. (Another reason why Ross is in trouble. Five votes or 102 votes??? hmmmm)
Back to the pay raise, I got a copy of the recently signed resolution which I'm including below so that all of us are on the same sheet of music. My objective is to help folks understand not to confuse everyone.
RESOLUTION NO. 42-10
A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE 2011 MASON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' SALARIES
WHEREAS, the Board suspended salary increases for Elected Officials for the year 2009 with exception to the 3rd District County Commissioner due to the Washington State Constitution precluding any change mid-term for County Commissioner positions. This resulted in the 3rd District Commissioner being paid 3% more than Districts 1 and 2 Commissioners.
WHEREAS, in 2010, all three County Commissioners received a salary increase of 3% as established by Resolution 85-01. No adjustment could be made to equalize the salaries due to the Constitution precluding any change mid-term for County Commissioner positions.
WHEREAS, in 2011 the 3rd District County Commissioner will start a new term and it is the desire of the Commissioners to have all three Commissioners paid the same salary.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED to suspend the 3% increase for the 3rd District County Commissioner.
Approved this 25th day of May 2010.
Signed by Ross Gallagher and Tim Sheldon with Lynda Ring Erickson absent.
Mason County, what does this resolution mean? I clearly get that District 3's (Ross' position) salary is frozen. But will Lynda and Tim get a 3% increase in salary in 2011? We may just have to wait to see what happens in the 2011 budget development process.
In the meantime, let's ask Monty Cobb (current deputy prosecutor) who is running for County Prosecutor where he comes down on the commissioners' annual pay raise, the Washington State Constitution and Mason County Resolution 85-01. Monty signed off on the above resolution. Maybe he can explain all of this to us before we get our ballots.
Shenanigans like this make the public even more cynical and further erode trust in public institutions.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
BOCC Meeting - June 1
Lynda is still on vacation. You never know what to expect when you attend the BOCC meetings. Today was no exception.
1. The county commissioners 2011 pay raise came up right off the bat during the open forum for citizens. Tim said commissioners received no pay raise at the BOCC meeting last week. I wasn't the only one who thought they'd raised the pay of Lynda and Tim in 2011, so did the Clerk of the Board. The Mason County Commission Agenda Action Sheet for the May 25, 2010 meeting shows as "Approved" for the following:
8.1 Approval of the resolution suspending the 3% increase, as previously established by Resolution 85-01, for the 3rd District County Commissioner in 2011. This results in all three Commissioners being paid the same salary in 2011.
As you'll recall in 2010 Ross receives a salary of $76,083 while Tim and Lynda $73,867. The only way all three commissioners could receive the same salary is for Tim and Lynda's salary to be raised to Ross' salary.
What are we to conclude about this? I'm concluding that shaming elected officials is a most effective tool. I'm ready to accept that their 2011 salaries will stay constant. That's what we spent 45 minutes arguing for last week. Honestly, I can't make this stuff up.
2. Annette McGee got some interesting answers to her questions today.
Ross says recordings of all BOCC meetings and briefings will be kept forever.
Regarding ADAGE, the lead agency for the approval process is the county according to Tim. Ross mumbled something about the SERPA process within the county which I think he meant as SEPA. Then Annette asked Tim and Ross about tax credits that ADAGE would be receiving. Tim said "I don't know" over and over - as in seven times. But Annette doesn't give up easily so she just kept asking questions about the federal and state sweeteners and got the big "I don't know" answer from one and a big shrug from another.
3. Ross did offer at one point that Mason County Public Health would be holding a health education forum on ADAGE in July. This brought Theresa Jacobson right out of her seat and up to the microphone. She said that Mason County Public Health has been negligent of health concerns and she knows this first hand. Apparently Theresa had been trying to get help from the county on an issue of health and safety in her neighborhood. It took her years to get a response from Public Health. Further she went on to say that when Dr Sammons (a Massachusetts pediatrician who is a medical expert on the health risks associated with woody biomass facilities) tried to speak at the April 27 Board of Public Health meeting, he was ignored by two commissioners and yelled at by another. Then Theresa asked why would we trust Public Health to look out for the interests of this county?
There you have it. I left early because the PUD 3 meeting started at 10 am. I couldn't miss that. Not when you are counting on this blog for the "unvarnished truth". The day only got better.
1. The county commissioners 2011 pay raise came up right off the bat during the open forum for citizens. Tim said commissioners received no pay raise at the BOCC meeting last week. I wasn't the only one who thought they'd raised the pay of Lynda and Tim in 2011, so did the Clerk of the Board. The Mason County Commission Agenda Action Sheet for the May 25, 2010 meeting shows as "Approved" for the following:
8.1 Approval of the resolution suspending the 3% increase, as previously established by Resolution 85-01, for the 3rd District County Commissioner in 2011. This results in all three Commissioners being paid the same salary in 2011.
As you'll recall in 2010 Ross receives a salary of $76,083 while Tim and Lynda $73,867. The only way all three commissioners could receive the same salary is for Tim and Lynda's salary to be raised to Ross' salary.
What are we to conclude about this? I'm concluding that shaming elected officials is a most effective tool. I'm ready to accept that their 2011 salaries will stay constant. That's what we spent 45 minutes arguing for last week. Honestly, I can't make this stuff up.
2. Annette McGee got some interesting answers to her questions today.
Ross says recordings of all BOCC meetings and briefings will be kept forever.
Regarding ADAGE, the lead agency for the approval process is the county according to Tim. Ross mumbled something about the SERPA process within the county which I think he meant as SEPA. Then Annette asked Tim and Ross about tax credits that ADAGE would be receiving. Tim said "I don't know" over and over - as in seven times. But Annette doesn't give up easily so she just kept asking questions about the federal and state sweeteners and got the big "I don't know" answer from one and a big shrug from another.
3. Ross did offer at one point that Mason County Public Health would be holding a health education forum on ADAGE in July. This brought Theresa Jacobson right out of her seat and up to the microphone. She said that Mason County Public Health has been negligent of health concerns and she knows this first hand. Apparently Theresa had been trying to get help from the county on an issue of health and safety in her neighborhood. It took her years to get a response from Public Health. Further she went on to say that when Dr Sammons (a Massachusetts pediatrician who is a medical expert on the health risks associated with woody biomass facilities) tried to speak at the April 27 Board of Public Health meeting, he was ignored by two commissioners and yelled at by another. Then Theresa asked why would we trust Public Health to look out for the interests of this county?
There you have it. I left early because the PUD 3 meeting started at 10 am. I couldn't miss that. Not when you are counting on this blog for the "unvarnished truth". The day only got better.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Ross Is In Trouble
Ross has been bugging everyone about his signs that are being stolen. That's the least of his trouble. Here's my view on how things look this Memorial Day weekend.
Let's not forget what body is the most powerful legislative authority in Mason County. That would be our Board of County Commissioners chaired this year by Commissioner Ross Gallagher. In this election year he is giving real material to those who have announced that they want his job. I'll just list a few of the more obvious recent reasons why we should be taking a serious look at those who would like to replace Ross.
1. Note the minutes of May 11 said nothing about the fact that Ross didn't allow Annette McGee to speak. See my blog posting (BOCC Meeting - May 11) for a more complete summary of the meeting where Ross refused to hear a former county commissioner to speak. Here's a link to the "official BOCC approved" minutes from that meeting: http://www.co.mason.wa.us/commissioners/Minutes_2010/2010-05-11.REG.pdf.
Why would the commissioners omit this from the minutes? Why would Ross, as chair of the board, go along with approving these minutes with this serious omission?
2. Let me answer that question. For the same reason the Board under his chairmanship needs to obfuscate the fact that Lynda and Tim are getting a 3 percent pay raise in 2011. The wording of this consent agenda item from the May 25 meeting was totally twisted to confuse us. Didn't work. We see right through what they are up to. Tim moved and Ross seconded to raise Lynda and Tim's salaries in 2011. Ross salary will stay the same at $76,083 in 2011. Why didn't Ross refuse to second?
What a deal for Lynda Ring Erickson. While she's off vacationing in Rome, she gets a pay raise but doesn't have to spend any political capital on the dirty deed.
Resolution 85-01 sets a salary increase of 3% per year for the commissioners. At this rate by 2020 we'll be paying them $102K each per year. See my blog posting "Staff Driven" from January 2010 for more on what we are getting for the salary we pay this our most powerful legislative authority.
Mason County, we need to demand a salary commission.
3. Only some resolutions in place are strictly adhered to as in the case of increasing their salaries. For the Accrued Leave Fund Resolution 62-03 set targets for funding what Lynda described as a fund to provide "a golden handshake" to county employees. It's not that golden for the taxpayers. April 2010 month end reports show the Accrued Leave Fund with a balance of $232K with an unfunded liability of $1.5M as of Dec 2008. Ross voted to adopt the 2010 budget knowing full well that this unfunded liability existed. I know this for sure because I and many others attempted to convince the BOCC to deal with this problem. Let's hope the upcoming sale of surplus property nets enough to fully fund the liability and that the commissioners deposit this in the Accrued Leave Fund.
4. And yet another reason Ross should be unelected is: We still don't have a union contract with the Sheriff's Deputies Guild and the one signed contract with the jail employees was a mess. The Board approved it without knowing what the budget impact would be. I couldn't make this stuff up.
5. Where does Ross stand on ADAGE coming to Mason County? Does anyone know? That's a question that many of us want to hear answered.
Stop looking for those signs, Ross. The signs aren't what's going to get you reelected.
Let's not forget what body is the most powerful legislative authority in Mason County. That would be our Board of County Commissioners chaired this year by Commissioner Ross Gallagher. In this election year he is giving real material to those who have announced that they want his job. I'll just list a few of the more obvious recent reasons why we should be taking a serious look at those who would like to replace Ross.
1. Note the minutes of May 11 said nothing about the fact that Ross didn't allow Annette McGee to speak. See my blog posting (BOCC Meeting - May 11) for a more complete summary of the meeting where Ross refused to hear a former county commissioner to speak. Here's a link to the "official BOCC approved" minutes from that meeting: http://www.co.mason.wa.us/commissioners/Minutes_2010/2010-05-11.REG.pdf.
Why would the commissioners omit this from the minutes? Why would Ross, as chair of the board, go along with approving these minutes with this serious omission?
2. Let me answer that question. For the same reason the Board under his chairmanship needs to obfuscate the fact that Lynda and Tim are getting a 3 percent pay raise in 2011. The wording of this consent agenda item from the May 25 meeting was totally twisted to confuse us. Didn't work. We see right through what they are up to. Tim moved and Ross seconded to raise Lynda and Tim's salaries in 2011. Ross salary will stay the same at $76,083 in 2011. Why didn't Ross refuse to second?
What a deal for Lynda Ring Erickson. While she's off vacationing in Rome, she gets a pay raise but doesn't have to spend any political capital on the dirty deed.
Resolution 85-01 sets a salary increase of 3% per year for the commissioners. At this rate by 2020 we'll be paying them $102K each per year. See my blog posting "Staff Driven" from January 2010 for more on what we are getting for the salary we pay this our most powerful legislative authority.
Mason County, we need to demand a salary commission.
3. Only some resolutions in place are strictly adhered to as in the case of increasing their salaries. For the Accrued Leave Fund Resolution 62-03 set targets for funding what Lynda described as a fund to provide "a golden handshake" to county employees. It's not that golden for the taxpayers. April 2010 month end reports show the Accrued Leave Fund with a balance of $232K with an unfunded liability of $1.5M as of Dec 2008. Ross voted to adopt the 2010 budget knowing full well that this unfunded liability existed. I know this for sure because I and many others attempted to convince the BOCC to deal with this problem. Let's hope the upcoming sale of surplus property nets enough to fully fund the liability and that the commissioners deposit this in the Accrued Leave Fund.
4. And yet another reason Ross should be unelected is: We still don't have a union contract with the Sheriff's Deputies Guild and the one signed contract with the jail employees was a mess. The Board approved it without knowing what the budget impact would be. I couldn't make this stuff up.
5. Where does Ross stand on ADAGE coming to Mason County? Does anyone know? That's a question that many of us want to hear answered.
Stop looking for those signs, Ross. The signs aren't what's going to get you reelected.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Briefings - May 10
Here's what I heard and understood at today's briefings. Meeting went from 830 am until noon with all three commissioners in attendance.
1. Union Contracts. For background see my April 6 and May 3 postings on the contract settlement with the jail and corrections facility staff.
Today the Sheriff and the Undersheriff met with the commissioners to discuss how this obligation is going to be funded in 2010. Recall that we're talking salary increases of $95K in 2010 and over $200K in 2011 - that's for just 40 or so union employees. We learned today that some of these employees have not had a salary adjustment in about nine years resulting in a need to increase salaries up to 16 percent but on average the increase was 5.6 percent. The bombshell in my estimation was learning that because it's taken so long to negotiate this agreement, the county and union employees will start all over negotiating a new contract next month - June 2010.
The Commissioners insisted the Sheriff must absorb the increase of $95K. The Sheriff and Undersheriff made the case that in the past a supplemental budget increase has been provided to offset the increase the Commissioners negotiated. The Commissioners, who rarely agree with each other in such an open and fervent manner, stood firm on the position that the county doesn't have the extra revenue to cover the increased salaries.
Lynda in the midst of this pretty tough discussion about how this pay roll increase was going to be funded says, "Move the jail from the Sheriff and place it under the Commissioners." In other words if the Sheriff can't figure out how to manage the jail within his current budget then the Commissioners will take the jail on. At this point Tim just about came out of his seat saying, "I don't want responsibility for the jail and I want to go on record stating this."
Next Monday the Sheriff and the Board are going to pick this same conversation right up again. So check back next week for more on this.
For future reference purposes, I heard Tim state during all of this heated discussion that he is willing to consider a levy shift for 2011. Let's all remember this as we go into the budget development process this fall.
2. Commissioners Salary. Assuming I understood this correctly, the commissioners are planning to increase by 3% the salaries for District 1 and 2 (Lynda and Tim). Rationale for the increase is to bring all commissioners salaries to the same level. Ross is currently being paid ($76,083.60) while Lynda and Tim are at $73,867.32. I honestly couldn't believe my ears that a salary increase was even being discussed given the anti-incumbent feelings sweeping the country. After further reflection I'm wondering why not just decrease District 3 salary? That would be another way to standardize the salaries.
3. Increase BOCC from Three to Five. Tim proposed increasing the commission to a five member board. He would take the total salaries for the three commissioners divide it by five. By doing this there would not be an increase in cost of payroll and we'd have two extra commissioners. He made the case that his district is the largest of the three and that it's "U" shaped with a fjord in the middle. The other two commissioners don't have the same geographic challenges, Tim opined. Lynda appeared to be open to the idea of redrawing the three districts but not necessarily going to a five member board. To bring about either change (five districts or redrawing the district lines) there would need to be a petition of 20% of the voters from each district. With enough signatures from voters, the change in districts could be placed on the ballot.
4. Increase Coroner Salary for 2011. Lynda also made the case for increasing the Coroner's salary. The Assessor, Auditor, Treasurer, etc make $68,130 while the Coroner is paid $51,192. Lynda doesn't think this is fair and asked the staff to do a survey of other counties to determine what other coroners in the state are making.
3. School Impact Fees. Community Development brought this up today asking the commissioners what they wanted to do. Both Tim and Lynda turned to Ross and each separately said to him,"Ross, what do you want to do?" Barbara Adkins will let the Planning Advisory Committee know that just because the school supervisors want to increase impact fees, the county commissioners are not required to hold public hearings or even consider the proposal. I'm thinking this is a dead issue.
There you have it, Mason County. Talk to you again soon and thanks for visiting my blog.
1. Union Contracts. For background see my April 6 and May 3 postings on the contract settlement with the jail and corrections facility staff.
Today the Sheriff and the Undersheriff met with the commissioners to discuss how this obligation is going to be funded in 2010. Recall that we're talking salary increases of $95K in 2010 and over $200K in 2011 - that's for just 40 or so union employees. We learned today that some of these employees have not had a salary adjustment in about nine years resulting in a need to increase salaries up to 16 percent but on average the increase was 5.6 percent. The bombshell in my estimation was learning that because it's taken so long to negotiate this agreement, the county and union employees will start all over negotiating a new contract next month - June 2010.
The Commissioners insisted the Sheriff must absorb the increase of $95K. The Sheriff and Undersheriff made the case that in the past a supplemental budget increase has been provided to offset the increase the Commissioners negotiated. The Commissioners, who rarely agree with each other in such an open and fervent manner, stood firm on the position that the county doesn't have the extra revenue to cover the increased salaries.
Lynda in the midst of this pretty tough discussion about how this pay roll increase was going to be funded says, "Move the jail from the Sheriff and place it under the Commissioners." In other words if the Sheriff can't figure out how to manage the jail within his current budget then the Commissioners will take the jail on. At this point Tim just about came out of his seat saying, "I don't want responsibility for the jail and I want to go on record stating this."
Next Monday the Sheriff and the Board are going to pick this same conversation right up again. So check back next week for more on this.
For future reference purposes, I heard Tim state during all of this heated discussion that he is willing to consider a levy shift for 2011. Let's all remember this as we go into the budget development process this fall.
2. Commissioners Salary. Assuming I understood this correctly, the commissioners are planning to increase by 3% the salaries for District 1 and 2 (Lynda and Tim). Rationale for the increase is to bring all commissioners salaries to the same level. Ross is currently being paid ($76,083.60) while Lynda and Tim are at $73,867.32. I honestly couldn't believe my ears that a salary increase was even being discussed given the anti-incumbent feelings sweeping the country. After further reflection I'm wondering why not just decrease District 3 salary? That would be another way to standardize the salaries.
3. Increase BOCC from Three to Five. Tim proposed increasing the commission to a five member board. He would take the total salaries for the three commissioners divide it by five. By doing this there would not be an increase in cost of payroll and we'd have two extra commissioners. He made the case that his district is the largest of the three and that it's "U" shaped with a fjord in the middle. The other two commissioners don't have the same geographic challenges, Tim opined. Lynda appeared to be open to the idea of redrawing the three districts but not necessarily going to a five member board. To bring about either change (five districts or redrawing the district lines) there would need to be a petition of 20% of the voters from each district. With enough signatures from voters, the change in districts could be placed on the ballot.
4. Increase Coroner Salary for 2011. Lynda also made the case for increasing the Coroner's salary. The Assessor, Auditor, Treasurer, etc make $68,130 while the Coroner is paid $51,192. Lynda doesn't think this is fair and asked the staff to do a survey of other counties to determine what other coroners in the state are making.
3. School Impact Fees. Community Development brought this up today asking the commissioners what they wanted to do. Both Tim and Lynda turned to Ross and each separately said to him,"Ross, what do you want to do?" Barbara Adkins will let the Planning Advisory Committee know that just because the school supervisors want to increase impact fees, the county commissioners are not required to hold public hearings or even consider the proposal. I'm thinking this is a dead issue.
There you have it, Mason County. Talk to you again soon and thanks for visiting my blog.
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