Editorial: Good intentions get tangled up in VBT

After the Van Buren Township regular meeting ended Tuesday night, we talked with Supervisor Kevin McNamara about his latest controversy – this one about pensions. (See page 10.) McNamara said that he and Trustee Martin had the 10% pension contribution from the township just like Trustees Frazier and White, but he and Martin didn’t think it was a big deal and didn’t want to raise it to 12% because it would increase their own compensation.
McNamara said they thought it wasn’t right to raise their own compensations, but when they found out it was not legal to have different rates, there was no question they had to raise the 10% to 12%.
Under the employee manual adopted March 4, 2014, it was stated those already elected got 12% but newly elected officials would get 10% because that’s what it appeared the state decreed. Later, the state changed the rules and the 12% for all would be good and actually paying them differently was not legal.
McNamara said he didn’t want to raise his own compensation because it didn’t seem right. Then, he had to. Two trustees said they didn’t understand why he didn’t change the rates two years ago when he saw they were different.
We think McNamara had good intentions that weren’t explained clearly which led to two trustees feeling he didn’t want them to have equality with the other trustees because he didn’t like them. Maybe he doesn’t, but we don’t think he tried to cheat them out of anything.