VBT Board approves 2018 amended, 2019 proposed budgets

The $17.7 million proposed 2019 general fund budget and the $17.8 million amended 2018 general fund budget were approved on a 5-2 vote at the Oct. 16 regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees.
Trustees Sherry Frazier and Paul White voted no.
The budget was presented for a public hearing at the Oct. 2 meeting and there were no comments.
At the Oct. 16 meeting, Supervisor Kevin McNamara gave a series of comments explaining the budget he was presenting, detailing grants and noting, “I believe next year will dwarf this year in grants.”
Trustee Reggie Miller said that this budget took six months to put together and, “It wasn’t easy.”
She said she was concerned about salary evaluations and why some got raises and some got 2%. There were heated discussions, she said, and she didn’t agree with all that was put into the budget, but overall she agrees with the budget and will be voting yes.
Trustee White said he would be voting no because of excessive expenditures. He questioned a $1.5 million line item that should have been in the township board section.
He said approving the budget in October was too soon, since it isn’t close to the end of the year and they could go another month before approving it.
White also was concerned with salaries and the decision of who gets a huge raise.
“We need to spend taxpayer funds the best we can,” White said. “This is the 16th of October, 10 weeks before the budget needs to be done.
“I will vote no to express my concern on the process and the amount of money spent,” White said.
Trustee Frazier said the board was never consulted about paying more money to some selected employees. She said the supervisor said it was to make them union equivalent, but they seemed arbitrary.
“We’re giving ten raises above the 2%. That’s $60,000 extra,” Frazier said, referring to the 2% across the board raise for employees.
She said some part-time people are getting $10.40 per hour and she would like to see that raised.
“Even Amazon went to $15,” she said.
Frazier said the $14,750 raise in one fell swoop was said to be equivalent to other communities. She said the supervisor’s executive assistant Dan Selman had two years of experience and is doing an excellent job, “but I can’t tell residents I OKed a $14,750 raise for one person.”
She said she offered a compromise for increasing his pay in steps over several years, but was rebuffed.
She said four or five employees are getting $5,000 raises, so give him a $5,000 raise plus 2%.
“I can’t realistically go to a citizen and say it’s OK,” Frazier said. “Another individual is getting a $9,000 raise. In one year?”
Treasurer Sharry Budd called a “point of order,” indicating the remarks were off subject.
“I won’t sit here and let my employees be humiliated any longer,” Treasurer Budd said.
Frazier kept talking on the subject and called out, “I knew we couldn’t talk about it,” when the vote was taken on the point of order and then the 5-2 vote on the budgets and the salary wage schedule for 2019.
“Remember, everyone, McNamara gives $14,000 raises. Remember that,” Frazier called out.
In other business at the one-hour-and-17-minute meeting, the board:
• Unanimously approved adoption of the 2018 amended Water and Sewer budget and the 2019 proposed Water and Sewer budget, with a 5% raise in water and sewer rates in 2019;
• Unanimously approved the amended and proposed Special Revenue Budgets, including Community Development Block Grant, Downtown Development Authority, Local Development Finance Authority, Federal Forfeiture Fund, State Forfeiture Fund, E-911 Service Fund, Landfill Fund, Belleville Area Museum, Long Term Debt Fund, and Capital Improvement Fund;
• Held a public hearing on establishing Industrial Development District #15 for Subaru at the former Smith Farm in Denton, with the only comment coming from David Schreiber, business development manager of the Wayne County Economic Development Corporation, saying this Subaru research and development project is an exciting project, “which comes only once in a blue moon.” He said he is excited about the way the company has approached the project and worked with the residents in the Denton area. McNamara said the township was thankful for the help of Aerotropolis and Wayne County. There was no other comment;
• Held a public hearing on a tax exemption certificate for Subaru with no comment;
• Unanimously approved establishing Industrial Development District #15;
• Approved on a 6-1 vote granting a 50% property tax exemption for 12 years to Subaru for the project. The farm currently pays $1,122 in annual property taxes and with the exemption, Subaru will pay $58,000 in property taxes per year. Frazier said she was tired of tax abatements, but believes it is a cost of doing business. Mark Heusel of Subaru said Subaru is putting its North American headquarters for all research and development activities in Van Buren Township and investing $40 million. Frazier said international headquarters for Subaru is in Tokyo, Japan. Heusel said the deciding factor to choosing Van Buren Township as the site was the way it worked with them and the opportunity for an abatement. He said they were considering another municipality, “just down the street” and sites in three other states. Miller said she believes Subaru can afford the taxes and abatements should be for start ups. She said she would be voting against the abatement. Heusel said they would create 144 jobs in Van Buren Township over a three-year period;
• Approved the second and final reading of a new snow removal ordinance. Matthew Best, Director of Public Services, said this was to create a community that is walkable and safe. “This is something premier communities do,” Best said;
• Approved combination of lots 18 and 19 in Burtrig Subdivsion, as recommended by Linda Stevenson, Assessment Coordinator;
• Approved the memorandum of understanding with Western Wayne County Special Operations Team, as recommended by Public Safety Director Greg Laurain;
• Approved the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) municipal credit contract for $28,348. The local match of $32,597 is met by the township’s general fund and in-kind services;
• Removed from the agenda proposed approval of Fonson Co., Inc., in the amount of $168,113 with a 10% contingency for the Briarwood Sewer Reconstruction Project. Also removed was consideration of approval of Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc., in an amount not to exceed $49,000 to provide engineering services for the Briarwood Sewer Reconstruction Project;
• Was informed of the free Candy Loop event on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Quirk Park. Last year more than 1,000 people attended;
• Heard Pam Fleming announce that as of Nov. 5 registration is open for those seeking Goodfellow help for Christmas. Registration closes Dec. 7. Applications for those in Van Buren Township and the City of Belleville are on the township web site and at the police department. For information, call her cell at (734) 260-4150;
• Heard Clerk Leon Wright announce the township hall will be closed on Nov. 12 in observance of Veterans’ Day;
• Heard Clerk Wright say he wants the rules the township board passed on meeting conduct to be followed. He read the rules and then said, “I ask that we adhere to these rules. We have the opportunity to do great things if we work together. One vote makes the majority, not individual opinions.” Trustee Miller said, “We all have a voice, one vote, and we all have an opinion.” She said she wants anyone to be able to speak. Trustee White said that money in the township budget belongs to the residents. He said the township’s first priority is public safety. “This board would do a better job if it realized each one has a specific job,” he said. “We all have a responsibility to speak out.” Miller said the township needs to evaluate employees fairly and equitably every year, so they know where they stand. “I agree with Trustee Frazier and I believe the public should hear that,” Miller said. Frazier again spoke of the arbitrary, high raises. “I have to look like the bad guy when I question raises,” Frazier said. Budd said, “We’ve already called a point of order on this,” and Frazier kept talking. so, Trustee Kevin Martin called another point of order and Supervisor McNamara said what has been said is “absolutely so false,” while board members spoke over each other. “It takes a teacher 10 years of teaching to get to $62,000,” Frazier said. The meeting adjourned.
After the Oct. 15 work/study session, the board went into closed-door session to consider the purchase or lease of real property.