Editorial: VBT approves 2019 budget, 5-2, with salary fireworks

The amended 2018 budget and proposed 2019 budget were approved on a 5-2 vote of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the board.
But, the approval came with fireworks, mainly because of the raises given to special employees. Trustee Sherry Frazier, one of the no votes, said the board was never consulted about paying some employees more than the 2% agreed upon.
“We’re giving ten raises above the 2% everyone else got. That’s $60,000 extra,” she said. Trustee Frazier said some part-time people are making $10.40 an hour, “and even Amazon went to $15.”
She said the $14,750 raise to Supervisor Kevin McNamara’s executive assistant Dan Selman, “in one fell swoop” was given because McNamara said it would make him equivalent to other communities for that position.
Frazier said Selman has almost two years of experience – all at VBT – and is doing an excellent job, but she has trouble telling residents she okayed a $14,750 raise for one person. She said she offered a compromise of giving smaller raises over several years, but was rebuffed.
Frazier said five people also were getting $5,000 raises each. That’s when Treasurer Budd called a point of order to shut down her remarks and the vote was taken. Trustee Paul White also voted no on the budgets, for the salaries and other reasons. (Complete story next week.)