Sumpter board gives itself $10,000 raise each on split 4-3 vote

At its regular Aug. 12 meeting, the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees voted 4-3 to give itself raises in pay of $10,000 each.
Voting yes was supervisor Tim Bowman and trustees Tim Rush, John Honey, and James Frazier.
Voting no were treasurer Bart Patterson, clerk Don LaPorte, and trustee Matthew Oddy.
When the item was up on the agenda, treasurer Patterson addressed Bowman who had put it on the agenda. Patterson said he was not in favor of the motion as presented. He said there was no supporting documents that show what the board is making now and what it will be after the raise, or a review of other communities and what they pay their board members.
Patterson said he thought more investigation should be done and there are some issues with Michigan Employees Retirement System (MEARS).
“I agree we need an increase,” said Oddy, noting that they hadn’t had an increase in four years.
He said Van Buren Township is $30,000 for trustees and the supervisor, clerk, and treasurer make more because they are full time. “This will take us over them,” he said of the trustees.
Oddy said when they were talking about a raise, he was surprised to see it was this high.
Bowman called for the vote and it passed 4-3, with no further discussion.
The pay for 2024 provided to the Independent in January under a Freedom of Information Act request showed supervisor Bowman made, $39,900 base pay and with benefits on top of that total compensation of about $41,000; Rush made $31,505, and more with benefits; and the trustees made about $24,000 each, and more with benefits. The clerk changed after the 2024 election and so the final figure was confusing.
In other business at the Aug. 12 meeting, the board:
• Heard LaPorte announce the planning consultant wants the board to review commercial and business licenses and a proposal to hire a fire inspector. LaPorte said presently the inspections for home-based business licenses are “drive-by,” which the consultant said is of no value. She wants to come to a meeting to discuss this with the board. Rush said most municipalities are “farming out” fire inspection duties to third parties and the customers pay for the cost;
• Approved a motion to receive and file all the reports from the supervisor, township manager, attorney, police/ordinance, building and fire departments, without any verbal information given to those present;
• Approved hiring Gary Stevenson and Kyle Weaver as paid-on-call fire fighters, contingent on them passing physical and drug tests;
• Approved posting a job description to fill a full-time position in the clerk’s office, with the proviso that that person may float to other departments as needed when available;
• Approved Monday, Nov. 10, 2025 as a CBA-recognized floating holiday;
• Approved rescheduling the board of trustees meeting from 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12;
• Approved seeking bids to repair the police department roof;
• Approved the township’s amended travel and millage reimbursement policy;
• Approved accepting the FOPLC contract modification request concerning the vacation-bid process in Article 20.1;
• Approved naming Mrs. Liz Bowman as a voting member of the Parks and Recreation committee effective Aug. 13;
• Approved the Parks and Recreation Trunk or Treat event at the community center from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 25;
• Approved the Parks and Recreation Meet and Greet activity on Sept. 20, with times to be determined;
• Approved seeking quotes to purchase a mini excavator with hydraulic head;
• Approved removing the 90-day waiting period for health insurance benefits for new employees, as long as a letter from the insurance company states this is OK;
• Passed a resolution approving millage funding allocation of $14,423 for improvements to Banotai Park;
• Approved having the amended purchasing policy go into effect Sept. 1, 2025;
• Approved asking the planning commission to consider rezoning the following parcels from MHP to RF or R-1:
81-071-99-0004-000,
81-071-99-0007-000,
81-071-99-0003-000,
81-071-99-0006-000,
81-071-99-0001,705;
• Approved hiring the proposed DPW laborer as of Aug. 25;
• Approved raising the pay of financial director Julie Campbell from $92,000 to $96,000 as of 60 days following the hiring date of April 14 as agreed at hiring;
• Heard LaPorte announce that active community member Leona Mixon has passed on and sympathy is sent to her family. He also announced a ribbon cutting for the new township carwash on Aug. 15, with free car washes that day. He also announced the Aug. 22-24 indoor-outdoor yard sale at the community center, and a special election Nov. 4 for precincts in the Van Buren and Lincoln school districts; and
• Heard Patterson congratulate Public Safety Director Eric Luke and his detectives for their excellent police work in discovering a perceived suicide instead was a murder. Oddy said it should be called an “alleged murder” until the court sessions are complete.