While discussing raises for town employees Tuesday night, Councilman Terry Howie questioned Town Coordinator Craig Allebach’s annual salary, saying he makes more than Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, and questioned the 3 percent increase for employee raises.
Allebach could not attend the meeting himself because he had an undisclosed surgery Tuesday morning at Kosciusko Community Hospital and will be “out of commission” for a couple of days, according to Council President Randy Swanson.
Clerk-Treasurer Kent Adams presented the ordinance increasing the salaries of the council, clerk, town marshal and park board by 3 percent, but since Adams declined a raise, the overall increase represented just 2.3 percent for 2016 over 2015 – or $15,373.97. He also presented a resolution increasing the salaries of other town employees by 3 percent.
The council approved the ordinance and resolution, but declined a raise for themselves, instead giving that money to the park board members. The annual compensation of each appointed park board member for 2016 was to be $330, but Adams will refigure that amount to reflect the increase.
During discussion of the raises, Howie said, “I’m going to bring it up again like I did last year. Poor Social Security people didn’t get anything. The county got 1 percent, Warsaw got somewhere around 2 percent.”
Adams responded he wasn’t taking an increase and the town has good people working for it. Howie said he wasn’t saying the town didn’t have good people. Adams said there’s a lot of rules and regulations the employees also have to deal with for a town of Winona’s size, but it was council’s choice.
Howie said there was discussion “years ago” when council decided to keep their pay the same as part of their public service. He suggested the council waive their increases and give that money to the park board members.
Randy Swanson said a raise for the council in 2016 would be the first one it’s received in seven years. Councilmen Robert Swanson and Peter Christos agreed with not taking a raise in 2016. Howie suggested giving a 2 percent raise instead of 3 for the town employees.
As for the 3 percent increase in general for the town employees, Christos said, “As an employer I can tell you that I have increased my people much more than 3 percent. So, life is expensive out there. … food is expensive. I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request.”
Councilman Bruce Shaffner agreed, saying 3 percent is a valid number as “we’re in a different economic scenario today” than a few years ago. He also agreed with not giving the council a raise.
In discussing the resolution which included a 3 percent raise for Allebach, Howie said Allebach’s salary for 2016, including the raise, would be $71,559.28, which is more than Thallemer’s annual salary of about $65,000. Allebach’s salary this year is $69,412. The mayor also gets a vehicle, which Allebach doesn’t, though he gets mileage.
“One budget meeting we had several years ago, we asked him how his salary got so high, he said, ‘I just kept taking what they gave me,’” Howie recalled. “It was noted at that time he was making more than the mayor of Warsaw.”
He said Winona is a town of about 4,800 and Warsaw is around 12,000. “Are we too high for the town coordinator?” Howie asked.
Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Cindy Nolton said Allebach doesn’t get insurance or his own vehicle from the town. Adams said of the 12 town employees who could take advantage of the town’s insurance, six do not, including Allebach.
Police Chief Paul Schmitt, who will make over $52,000 with the increase in 2016, defended Allebach’s salary, saying, “No one in this town works any harder than Craig Allebach does. That man is here, usually from 6 in the morning to 6 in the night, almost every day. He deserves every penny he gets because he makes your guys’ job a whole lot easier.”
It was noted that last year was the first time Allebach took a pay increase in a number of years. Howie was asked if being the Warsaw mayor was a full-time job. Howie responded it wasn’t and he wasn’t required to work full time, but that Thallemer told him he does work full time.
Resident Rick Swaim said comparing Allebach’s work and salary to other town coordinators to towns of similar sizes in the state might be more fair than comparing it to the Warsaw mayor’s. Randy Swanson said a study like that was done about five years ago.
Town attorney Jim Walmer said he suspected Winona Lake has a lot more activity than other towns of similar sizes. In the summer, Walmer said Allebach is always around. “This town is not Monday through Friday, 8 to 5,” Walmer said. He also said he didn’t know how many other town coordinators get involved in grant writing.
Christos said the council next year won’t include Randy Swanson or Terry Howie, so it will be good to have someone experienced like Allebach for the young council to have continuity.
The resolution, including Allebach’s 3 percent raise, was approved by Shaffner, Christos and Robert Swanson. Howie voted against it and Randy Swanson abstained.
The council also voted to give its 13 town employees a Christmas bonus of $275 each. Members of the volunteer fire department will get Christmas hams.
(Story By The Times Union)
