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Sheriff upset by reduced salary increase for 2008
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Friday, October 26, 2007 11:31 AM EDT
CORUNNA - Raises for elected officials were approved alongside the county's 2008 budget at Thursday's Board of Commissioners meeting - but not all officials are happy.
A raise of about $5,000 was approved for the County Clerk, Drain Commissioner, Register of Deeds and Treasurer, bringing their salaries to about $50,400.
It's the first time county elected officials have received a raise since 2005, when they were given a 1 percent hike.
Sheriff Jon Wilson received a raise to bring his salary to about $77,000, from $74,000. He had requested a raise to about $82,000, which was amended to the reduced amount by Commissioner Dan Stewart at Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting.
Stewart said he reduced the amount to keep it similar to the dollar amounts of other officials' raises, and to keep it in line with salaries of sheriffs in comparable counties. The sheriff also receives a large retirement package in comparison to other employees, and is provided a car for personal use, Stewart said, which he considered in the reduction.
Wilson questioned how the decision was reached and said the counties used in comparison were not appropriate because they do not share all of the responsibilities he does, including 911, animal control, courthouse security, emergency homeland security and a board.
“I think it's terrible, I would never have asked for a raise with the way the economy is right now if no one else got a raise,” Wilson said, adding the commissioners should take a cut to “level the playing field.”
Outside the meeting, Wilson said he believes the cut in his raise is politically driven since next year is an election year.
Stewart said that was not part of his reasoning.
“Not even a little bit,” Stewart said. “It was just trying to do what was fair and doing the right thing, and I thought that pay raise was a fair amount.”
Stewart said the list of counties used for comparison was set by an independent arbitrator. Barry, Clinton, Isabella and Montcalm counties are used.
Isabella County has the closest population to Shiawassee County with about 65,800 residents - Shiawassee has about 71,700 - and its sheriff's 2007 salary was $61,500, with no provided raise for 2008. The Isabella sheriff doesn't have any of the departments the Shiawassee County Sheriff's Department does.
The most similar salary was in Clinton County. The sheriff's salary for 2007 was about $77,500, with a 2 percent raise for 2008. That department includes animal control, courthouse security and emergency homeland security, but does not involve 911 or a board. Clinton County has a population of about 64,700.
Jim LaRue of Caledonia Township questioned the commissioners' rational in cutting Wilson's raise.
“I find that you lack consistency and it has the appearance of favoritism and punitive action on part of the commissioners, both of which I hope is not the case but it looks that way,” LaRue said.
A 3 percent salary increase for 2008 was also approved for non-represented, non-health department, non-circuit court, non-probate court and family court employees.
Commissioner Jack Johnson was absent Thursday. At Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting, he did not vote to approve the budget because he said there was a lack of discussion and debate.