VBT Board hears no comments on $16.6 million budget for 2019

There were no comments from the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees or from the public during the one-minute public hearing Oct. 2 on the proposed 2019 general fund budget or the amended 2018 budget.
The board is expected to vote on these two budgets, along with ten other special revenue fund budgets, and the water and sewer budgets, at its next meeting on Oct. 16.
Only five members of the seven-member board were present Oct. 2, with Clerk Leon Wright, pronounced absent and excused without further explanation, and Trustee Paul White, also absent and excused.
The total meeting lasted just 10 minutes and Trustee White walked in two minutes later, after being the victim in a hit-and-run accident on the way to the meeting.
He said he had prepared for 15 hours to make comments on the budget at the meeting and he was disappointed.
At the work/study session of the board the afternoon before the regular meeting, there was a lot of discussion about the budgets. It was noted the pay raise for election workers, recently approved by the board, will be held off until the 2019 budget and will not take place at the Nov. 6 election.
Trustee White asked Supervisor Kevin McNamara how he decides who to give more than a 2% raise to and Supervisor McNamara said the board determines the pay raises.
“No, they don’t,” Trustee White replied. He said he thinks it is improper for the supervisor to “go down that road” where he chooses who gets a bigger raise.
“Some directors haven’t had more than 2%,” White said referring to the annual raises for everyone.
“We do a survey every year and compare,” McNamara said that some positions were below surrounding municipalities. “Some assistant directors were making less than those in the union.”
White said Sumpter Township board members are getting $22,000 a year and Treasurer Sharry Budd, replied, “Don’t tell me you should get that.”
Discussion showed there were questions about healthcare.
White said as of Nov. 20, 2020, the board policy is that there will no longer be payment in lieu of insurance.
Trustee Kevin Martin said that’s up to the board and another board could vote to leave that payment in place.
White said there is “stuff going on in this budget” that is a problem for him because of all the expenditures.
“We’re sitting in a building that hadn’t been updated for 25 years,” McNamara said, adding they are upgrading these facilities, the police department, getting fire engines and the township will be up to date.
“Walmart is putting in the same flooring you want here,” White said, noting that the flooring in the township hall has nothing wrong with it.
“Well, we don’t want to look like Walmart,” McNamara said derisively.
Director of Public Services Matthew Best was asked how much it costs for the township to keep the present floors in shape and he said the waxing and labor is a full-time job for an employee. He said it will cost $119,000 in new flooring for the entire campus that will pay for itself within a few years.
White said the township has $72 million in invested funds. Treasurer Budd said there is $10 million in the fund balance which is 53% of the total budget.
“Salaries disturbed me,” said Trustee Sherry Frazier, adding that making directors even with union workers doesn’t make sense since union workers have to pay dues and directors don’t.
“It’s arbitrary. Giving outrageous wages,” Trustee Frazier continued. “A 28% raise in one year is unheard of in real business … We gave a raise to the clerk so he could be equal with the treasurer. He said he needed a raise and he got a $15,000 raise in 2016 and a $5,000 raise last year. And, now again, this year. What are we doing?”
“If I gave an arbitrary raise, other directors would want an arbitrary raise. We give a survey first,” McNamara said.
Trustee Frazier said McNamara is fostering a climate of upset workers.
Dan Selman, McNamara’s executive assistant, said there is a clause, wording, in the policy that allows the board to bring raises up.
“We should base our budget based on usage,” Frazier said. “How many people are serviced by each department. How many the museum served. Maybe we should put counters at the door like the library did.”
“We’re data-driven for where we want to go,” said McNamara. “We’re getting closer to where we can do data-driven budgeting…”
“A fire fighter gets 2%…” Frazier began and this was finished by Trustee Reggie Miller, who added, “…and someone gets 28%.”
“You can’t bribe your employees to stay with you,” Frazier said to McNamara.
“We’re not evaluating employees, but giving random raises and they know it,” Trustee Miller said.
“You make $90,000 and I make $16,000 … six times difference,” White said in beginning an evaluation of how much work for the township each of them does.
“I bring in four times my salary in grants,” McNamara said.
“You don’t work 60 hours…” White said, and he never answers the phone.
“I do not answer my phone and no voice mail. Everybody knows it,” McNamara said.
Frazier said rather than give a 28% raise all at once, maybe he could phase it in.
“You said he’d get a raise and he didn’t… He’s been here two years,” McNamara said of his assistant Selman.
Selman, who had just graduated from college and had no experience when he first started in 2017, was paid $50,000, got a 2.5% raise in 2018 to $51,250, and will be paid $66,000 in 2019, a raise of $14,750, if this budget is approved as is.
Other wage increases, that are higher than the 2% employees will get in 2019, are the Residential Appraiser who will go from $36,244 to $45,000; the police chief and fire chief, who will each go from $80,369 to $85,000; Senior Coordinator from $36,951 to $40,000; Museum Director from $40,540 to $45,000; IT Director from $73,395 to $79,000; Water/Sewer GIS Coordinator, from $55,722 to $60,000; DDA Director from $77,351 to $79,672; and DDA Assistant Director, $52,508 to $54,083.
General Fund expenditures will go from a projected $17,563,324 in 2018 to a proposed $16,631,659 in 2019.
In other business at the Oct. 2 regular meeting, the board:
• Heard the first reading of an ordinance that would require property owners to remove ice and snow from sidewalks along their parcels. The second reading and vote to approve is expected at the Oct. 16 meeting. There will be verbal or written warnings before a citation for a civil infraction. Director Best said, “We want to ensure the township is walkable, bikeable.” Supervisor McNamara assured the residents, “We’re not running around with tickets as soon as it snows”;
• Removed from the agenda an ordinance that would allow the supervisor to declare a Snow Emergency that would require everyone to get their vehicles off the streets so they can be plowed. Since the township roads get plowed by the county, several problems popped up at the work/study session and the ordinance was sent back to the drawing board;
• Approved the supervisor’s appointment of James Chudzinski to fill the unexpired term of office of Ron Blank on the Downtown Development Authority with a term to expire March 9, 2022. Chudzinski owns Express Tire in VBT. He also serves on the Belleville DDA;
• Approved the supervisor’s re-appointment of Jeff Jahr to the Planning Commission with a term to expire Oct. 1, 2021;
• Approved the supervisor’s re-appointment of Ben Ross, a retired educator, to the Environmental Commission with a term to expire Oct. 1, 2021;
• Approved the supervisor’s appointment of Dolores Hogan, a retired Registered Nurse, to the Endowment Committee with a term to expire Jan. 15, 2020. Hogan has been doing blood pressure checks at the senior center for 20 years and has done hospice care. She replaces Margaret Thompson who died.;
• Heard Supervisor McNamara announce that the Downriver Utility Wastewater Authority (DUWA) is now owned by the 17 communities that use it and Van Buren Township has a 5% share; and
• Heard Fire Chief Amy Brow announce a pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. until noon at Fire Hall #2 on Saturday, Oct. 13. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children.