Township compensation issue stalls

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Ironwood Township — The township board heard from its ad hoc salary committee Monday. However, with competing motions both failing, it’s unclear what the board will do with the information.

Trustee Marlene Saari-Mieloszyk led the committee — that also included Trustee Kevin Lyons and resident Sharon Hallberg — tasked with examining how the three township officials that work in the office should get raises this year.

She said they discovered the clerk and treasurer haven’t been compensated the $1,125 the board previously voted they get from the township’s sewer fund.

As this is the same amount as the 3 percent raise the officials requested, the committee recommended denying the raise and paying them the previously approved sewer fund money instead.

“Our recommendation was no raises and take the $1,100 they were supposed to be getting paid — that gives both (clerk and treasurer) essentially 3 percent more than they did last year,” Lyons said.

The board voted 5-2 to reject the committee’s recommendation, with only Lyons and Saari-Mieloszyk voting for it.

Saari-Mieloszyk said the recommendation against raises was made in response to the feeling from some residents that too much money was being spent in the township office over the past few years and dissatisfaction with the way past township officials operated.

“(The committee) discussed the fact the township board has lost the trust of the residents with all that has happened over the last few years, and we think it’s time to start working in good faith to earn it again,” she said, noting progress on that front has already been made.

She made clear it wasn’t based on the work the officials were doing.

“It’s not a reflection of performance, we appreciate everything you guys are doing. It’s the recommendation we came up with based on what other townships are getting. It’s looking at perception that possibly the deputies are working more hours than they should,” Saari-Mieloszyk said.

Although all three committee members said the decision against raises wasn’t a personal reflection on the work of the three officers, treasurer Maria Graser said it was hard not to take it personally.

She said she and the other officers have been working hard to restore the trust of residents, but they are being punished for the actions of previous officials.

“It’s not my fault, it’s not anybody’s fault; we’re trying to get back everything,” Graser said. “But I’m still getting blamed for everything that has gone wrong in this office.

“And now to say that I don’t deserve (a raise) because there’s still no trust, every person that comes in here pretty much tells me I’m doing a wonderful job — or we’re doing a wonderful job — (saying) ‘Thank you guys for making this place a better place.’”

With the motion to implement the committee’s recommendation against raises unsuccessful, a second motion to grant the 3 percent raise was made. It failed due to the lack of a second.

This left the board unsure of how to proceed. Ultimately, it was decided the raises couldn’t be implemented without board approval and the committee report would remain on the agenda as old business until someone made a successful motion one way or the other.

As part of the committee’s recommendation, Saari-Mieloszyk suggested there be further study into ways to make the office work more efficiently and whether the hours worked by the deputy officials were necessary.

There was a brief discussion of moving from the three-person salary committee to a more formal compensation commission, a move that has repeatedly been brought up since the ad-hoc committee was formed during the most recent budget process.

Trustee Bev Michaels said her vote against the committee’s recommendation was due to her support for establishing a commission. No formal action was taken to proceed with that option.

After the meeting, Saari-Mieloszyk told the Daily Globe the clerk and treasurer will likely still receive the $1,125 from sewer fund as the board had previously approved that and neither of the motions Monday addressed that issue.

In other action:

—The board approved contributing the township’s share of $5,150 to the Gogebic County Council of Veterans.