Pay Raises, Politicians and the People

Pay Raises, Politicians and the People


Pay Raises



If you’re not already in the “know”, the City of Stockbridge City Council will be voting on whether or not to give themselves a pay raise from their current salaries: $8,700 a year for council members and $10,700 a year for Mayor Tim Thompson. I wonder what the line would be on the likelihood of this measure passing if Las Vegas odds makers were to get involved. Would you take that bet?



Following in the most hallowed traditions of our U.S. Congress, Georgia State Legislature and the City of Atlanta, the newly elected members of the Stockbridge City Council have found themselves facing the incredibly difficult task of judging their intrinsic worth 11 months into their new term.



This seemingly innocuous agenda item will be voted on this coming Monday, November 11th, at 6:00 pm during the regular monthly session.



Since the City of Stockbridge so graciously allows citizens three (3)-minutes to speak to council members on any subject they wish, I was a little surprised to find that I was the only person to get up and speak to the mayor and council on this topic.



I started off by saying that theirs is one of the only professions that I know of where the “employees” get to vote on if they deserve to be paid more. We should all be so lucky!



Then I sincerely acknowledged the fact that I know all of them on a personal level; I know that each of them came to the “job” not motivated by how much money they could make, but by their dedication to the community and desire to serve.



You see, part of the reasoning that went into the decision to propose a pay increase, is the fact that, compared to the other 14 or so municipalities that have a similar population to the City of Stockbridge, our city council members on average are paid roughly about $900 a year less. And our mayor is paid about $1,300 less annually.



But since we are “comparing ourselves among ourselves”, the Stockbridge City Council got wind of what they pay Mayor Billy Copeland and his council members down in McDonough. Well, not to be “outdone”, they felt that since the City of Stockbridge has a slightly higher population, they should be paid at least as much as our neighbors to the south, which is $12,000 a year for each council member and $18,000 a year for Mayor Tim Thompson.



The problem with this, I pointed out with the two minutes I had left, was that this comparison wasn’t really apples to apples. First of all, the City of Stockbridge pays for the medical insurance premium of the mayor and city council members that gives them and their spouses’ full coverage, which is not included as part of their compensation package for salary calculations. “How ‘bout them apples?”



My second point was, what exactly have they done to deserve a pay raise? I’m not suggesting that they haven’t been working hard. However, from everything I know, it’s the city attorney, the city manager and other appointed lawyers who do most of the heavy lifting.



Also, let’s consider the four (4) lawsuits that the City of Stockbridge is embroiled in: 1) a suit brought by former City Clerk, Ronda Blackmon, for wrongful termination, 2) another suite brought by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), 3) a countersuit against the DDA by the city and 4) former Councilman Richard Steinberg’s lawsuit against the city for excluding him from executive session. You may begin to appreciate the price-tag the citizens will end up bearing: nearly $750,000 in legal fees this year alone with no end in sight. And city council is considering a pay raise?



Going back to the now infamous eminent domain case against the Meeks’ flower shop, to the removal of Mayor Stuart by City Council, to the more recent ceding of property and slightly over $26-million dollars given away to the DDA, and finally the forced resignation of a council member, the City of Stockbridge continues to engage in activities in which tax payers are not gaining any tangible benefits, but are certainly paying the price.



Politicians



Most would agree that the negative impact of these self-inflicted wounds that our city’s politicians have brought upon us over the past several years is incalculable. The brand that is Stockbridge has been severely tarnished.



So, with one minute to go I offered a suggestion. Since any council-approved vote on a pay increase doesn’t take effect until the next election cycle year (2016), why not pose the question to the public in the form of a referendum? In other words, what’s the rush? A community vote, if you will, on whether or not our elected officials have actually done enough in the minds of the citizens to warrant a pay raise would go a long way to re-establishing trust.



I finally ended my comments by stating my belief that if they voted on the measure without a referendum, then they were just like typical politicians in Washington, D. C. or Atlanta.



As you could probably imagine, my comments were received by a deafening silence (if only looks could kill). But if you don’t agree with your friend from time to time, isn’t the whole point of being a “real” friend that you tell them the truth, even when they may not want to hear it? And continue being their friend even when they don’t agree with you?



The council members may think a raise is merited given the incredible amount of time needed to “fix” the mess left by the last administration. Time spent away from family. Time spent going to Georgia Municipal Association and Atlanta Regional Commission meetings to learn how to be good government servants. But when you run for office, you should know the requirements of the job before you “apply”, and an “employee” shouldn’t have to self-promote for a raise. Their actions and tract record will warrant one.



Now, in all fairness to Mayor Tim L. Thompson, he doesn’t actually get a say in this matter, because he doesn’t vote unless there’s a tie. But he hasn’t spoken out against the measure either.  I mean, why speak out against a measure on which you have no say? The council might just spite you and increase their pay, but not the mayor’s. Oh, what a tangled web we weave!



The People



I respectfully challenge the mayor and city council members of Stockbridge to ask any citizen in the city limits, “Name one thing that the newly elected mayor and council have done to materially improve your situation?”



As a property owner, I see the value of my home being negatively affected by the general appearance of the Hwy 138/ North Henry Boulevard corridor. Homeless people inhabit the area off of the I-75 and I-675 exits. Trash and unkempt landscaping all dissuade real estate professionals from bringing clients to view the homes in the north end of the city. For all of his faults, Ted Strickland spent our tax dollars wisely and kept Stockbridge looking clean, which is one of the things that attracted so many transplants like me to move here in the first place. Incidentally, I raised these same issues over a year ago.







I’m going to go out on a limb and imagine what some of the residents of Stockbridge might articulate if asked:



If I’m jobless, help me to find a job by hosting a job fair. McDonough has one every year. Why don’t we? If we’re going to start comparing ourselves to McDonough, maybe we should start by doing some of the things they do in McDonough to make life better for citizens.



If I’m a parent, give me options! How about an early childhood development option, like allowing Head Start to use the old police station that’s sitting there on Burke Street collecting dust? Or allowing the Boys & Girls Club to use the old fire station on Berry Street to promote programs that provide at-risk teens after school alternatives?



If I’m an adult, with no high school diploma, how about using some of the un-used space at the Merle Manders Conference Center to provide access to G.E.D. classes taught by the Southern Crescent Technical College? I think many residents would be shocked to know that it’s been about three (3)-years now since they stopped providing this valuable resource to the community since the library started its furlough days.



Not one of these ideas actually “costs” us any more than what we’re already paying for in taxes. Each of the aforementioned buildings either has the space, or is already being maintained by the city -though they are not being utilized, or both. And if Rudy Kelly and Ted Strickland could figure out a way to amass a $20+ million dollar Reserve Fund and keep the city looking clean every day, then surely our politicians can figure it out, considering all the money we’ve seen walk out the front door lately!



Again ask the people, what exactly have they done to deserve a pay raise? If the people vote, “Yes”, then I’m all for a pay increase. If not, then it’s back to the people’s business.



You know what? Come to think of it, I should be getting paid for writing this article.







-by Houston E. Nelson, III
A resourceful, penny pinching, outside-of-the-box thinking, unconventional suggesting, fiscally conservative and socially progressive, tax-paying, family-focused, God-fearing, concerned citizen of Stockbridge, Henry County, Georgia



The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following a link on this site.  Any article sent by citizens are their own property.