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South Bend Common Council approves higher pay for top jobs
SOUTH BEND, Feb 14, 2012 (South Bend Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Common Council members narrowly approved a proposal Monday that will allow Mayor Pete Buttigieg to pay higher salaries for seven managerial positions in city government.
Buttigieg, who took office Jan. 1, said the salary levels set for those top jobs have made it difficult to land the best candidates.
There are many smaller Indiana cities, he said, that pay higher salaries for the same work.
He still needs to fill positions for city attorney, city engineer, director of public works, executive director for community and economic development, director of human resources and director of information technology. Interim managers are in those roles now.
"I was elected to deliver a step change in the quality of city services. In order to do that, I need top people in these positions," Buttigieg told council members Monday. "My suspicion is, if I can't attract top people, your phones and my phone are going to begin ringing when citizens notice the difference."
Council members voted 5-4 in support of the plan.
Tim Scott, D-1st; Valerie Schey, D-3rd; Dr. Fred Ferlic, D-4th; Derek Dieter, D-at large; and Gavin Ferlic, D-at large, cast the "yes" votes.
Henry Davis Jr., D-2nd; Dr. David Varner, R-5th; Oliver Davis, D-6th; and Karen White, D-at large, voted against it.
Buttigieg said there is room for $200,000 worth of raises in the budget the council approved last year. The total cost of the raises in his proposal would be about $100,000, so it won't add a penny to city expenditures.
Salaries
Public-access TV
After more than four years off the air, public-access television appears to be on its way back in St. Joseph County.
Council members voted 8-1 on Monday in favor of an agreement with the county and Mishawaka to fund a public-access channel with a portion of the franchise fees cable companies pay them.
Schey, who expressed concerns about South Bend's disproportionate share of the cost, cast the only vote against it.
The $85,000 plan calls for South Bend to pay $65,000, and Mishawaka and the county to pay $10,000 each to support a public-access channel for a year. WNIT Television would manage the channel.
After that first year, if officials want to continue it, each unit of government's contribution would be proportional to the cable franchise fees they receive. That means South Bend would pay $43,000, the county would pay $29,000, and Mishawaka would pay $13,000.
Comcast shut down its Channel 99 studio at the end of 2007 after a new state law freed cable companies from a requirement to provide personnel, equipment and studio space for people who want to produce public-access shows.
Staff writer Kevin Allen:
kallen@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6244
___ (c)2012 the South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Ind.) Visit the South Bend
Tribune (South Bend, Ind.) at www.southbendtribune.com Distributed by MCT
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