Sumpter board eliminates medical benefits, reimbursements for board members

After a long, confusing discussion at its regular meeting on Nov. 12, the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to eliminate the eligibility for medical benefits and medical reimbursement for the township supervisor, clerk, treasurer and trustees.
The vote was 6-0 with Trustee Don Swinson absent. The change takes place Dec. 1.
The board base compensation schedule was not changed, with Supervisor John Morgan earning $22,418.70, Clerk Esther Hurst and Treasurer Ken Bednark earning $18,830.68, and trustees earning $8,322 each. This is according to a chart given out to members of the audience before the meeting.
Trustee Matthew Oddy had put a proposal on the agenda to eliminate medical benefits and medical reimbursements for the elected officials, but he included raises for board members. He said his total package would save $10,104.57.
Members of the audience noted Trustee Oddy’s proposal was a 225% raise in base pay for trustees, who would go up to $18,650 each.
Oddy proposed the clerk and treasurer go up to $28,000 and the supervisor up to $32,000.
Oddy said the current compensation goes back 20 years to 2000. “I’m excited,” he said, noting many conversations have taken place about taking medical coverage out and raising the pay of the board.
Treasurer Ken Bednark said he provided the information to the audience, plus the background, which includes a 1% increase to match the unions.
“I would like to remove the fuzzy math,” Treasurer Bednark said. “It’s ill-founded and has not been discussed with the board.”
Bednark said Oddy has been on the board for five to six years and when Bednark brings the issue to the forefront at the last meeting, Oddy suddenly comes forward with a plan.
Bednark said he asked to talk about the issue before the budget time so they can be a fiscally competent board.
Bednark said Oddy’s proposal doubles the base of the trustees, with raises for clerk, treasurer, and supervisor.
“Board members are getting $400 a meeting now,” Bednark said, adding, “Most shocking is the medical reimbursements. It’s a windfall.”
Bednark went over the medical reimbursements and noted Oddy’s reimbursement was almost double his base pay.
“Now he wants a lump sum with a 225% increase,” Bednark said.
“Here we are, a rinky dink Sumpter Township” giving these raises to the elected officials. He said the financial director spoke of decreased revenue and increased costs.
“We need to be fiscally responsible,” Bednark said. “We need to spend less and get more. 225% — all within the guise of getting rid of medical reimbursements.”
Bednark said he did research with the Michigan Township Association, looking at rural townships, and some get $40 a meeting.
“Some places barely pay anything,” he said. “This township has tried to run itself like Canton Township and Van Buren Township.”
Bednark said some of his critics have said that he’s angry and curled up there ready to strike.
“I’m going to make a motion to remove this from the agenda,” he said of Oddy’s proposal.
“I’m tired of kicking things down the road,” said Trustee Tim Rush. “I’m voting in favor of this.”
“That would make good sense,” Bednark replied. “Why don’t we eliminate medical reimbursement entirely?”
“I’ll make that proposal tonight,” said Oddy, laughing after his statement.
“Eliminate medical reimbursement!” Bednark agreed.
Supervisor Morgan suggested they reach a compromise and have a meeting to discuss the issue, discuss the proposals.
Trustee LaPorte said the hardest thing for him is to sit up there at the board table and say what he is worth. He said the supervisor, clerk, and treasurer have monies that pay for people to help them do their jobs, but the trustees work all on their own.
He said to Bednark that he has good merits and Oddy has good merits and a committee wouldn’t be a bad idea at all, but that would be a rowdy meeting.
Bednark’s proposal to get rid of township paid cellphones for elected officials hit a nerve with LaPorte, since he is the only one who has such a phone.
LaPorte, the board liaison to the fire department and a fire fighter, said the township has to have a line for emergencies. He said the police have one.
Former Treasurer Peggy Morgan said this township provides life and medical insurance and the board should get it. Reimbursement is a whole different thing and she was not in favor of the reimbursement.
She said Supervisor Elmer Parraghi needed medical insurance and the board wouldn’t give it to him.
Township attorney Rob Young said all employees have to have provision for insurance and you can’t choose by need.
“If you didn’t take the buyout, it would take 100% to provide the insurance,” Young said, adding for example, if they can buy out LaPorte for 50%, it’s a savings to the township. “It saves the township the money.”
Peggy Morgan said at Ford Motor Co., if you want insurance, you sign on, or you pass.
“The only way you pass is if you get compensation,” Young said.
The Independent asked if this proposed change in elected officials’ pay was for the next board, elected in 2020, because you can’t change your own pay while in office.
Young said the medical reimbursement can be changed, but not the base pay which was on the ballot.
Most of the discussion was in the work/study session.
When it got to that agenda item during the regular meeting, Trustee Oddy made a motion to approve the item he put on the agenda, with Clerk Hurst supporting. Trustee Rush made a motion to amend the motion to take off new pay rates for officials.
Attorney Young suggested everyone withdraw their motions and start over. Rush made a motion to eliminate reimbursement of medical insurance and use the 2019-20 existing base pay for elected township officials.
“And, eliminate eligibility for medical coverage,” Oddy asked in supporting the motion. This passed 6-0, with one absent.
In other business at the Nov. 12 meeting, the board:
• Removed from the agenda the request by Clerk Esther Hurst for a full-time shared-services position based in the clerk’s office;
• Approved the Brown Dog Millwork Package for the library media center for $27,375, paid out of library funds;
• Approved the reappointment of Matt Oddy to the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, with a term to expire Nov. 20, 2022. He presently is board liaison to these groups;
• Approved a management agreement with the Nature Conservancy through Dec. 31, 2025. The conservancy recently received funding to restore wet prairie habitat for the benefit of the Blazing Star Borer Moth. This is an endangered species with only 24 sightings in Michigan since 1984. One of those sightings was on a parcel on Arkona Road owned by Sumpter Township;
• Approved hiring Austin Tyler Wegienka as a fire fighter, contingent upon him passing a physical exam and drug screen;
• Approved a one-year, auto-renewed recycling agreement with Planet Aid that will pay the township 5 cents per pound for donations for the recycling of clothing, books, and shoes in three containers placed in the recycling area behind the township hall. It will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Deputy Clerk Anthony Burdick is in charge of the project. Planet Aid is based in Romulus;
• Approved the Scrap Tire CleanUp Grant of $8,000 in unmatched money between the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the township. This will provide a hauler and container to haul off tires;
• After a discussion, heard Bednark remove his request to have Sumpter police officers make bank deposits weekly at a Belleville bank until more information could be gathered;
• Removed from the agenda suggested procedures for Country Fest revenues to the treasurer’s office;
• Heard Oddy say that in the Oct. 24 meeting it was stated that the landfill revenue is down, but it has been up in the last six of seven years. In 2019 there was a decline, the first in seven years, he said. In 2017 and 2018 there were record highs, Oddy stated, noting the last three years were the highest since 2001;
• Heard Bednark ask Young if he was under contract with the board and Young replied he was retained 20 years ago and doesn’t have a copy of a contract. Bednark said he needs to get all of their contractors under contract, including the engineers who also have been working forever. He said he thinks these services should be bid to save the residents some money. “I want the board to follow its own rules,” Bednark said;
• Heard Peggy Morgan say she understands why Treasurer Bednark is saying Parks and Rec. is a problem. She said the numbers never matched up and people would take money home. “That needs to be handled,” she said; and
• Went into closed-door session to consider the Futernick pending litigation.