Dexter Township Officials Vote Down Raises for Employees

Citing the need for fiscal responsibility in a down economy, the Dexter Township Board of Trustees at its regular meeting this week voted to keep employee salaries at their current level for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

“I don’t think we should be giving ourselves raises when we have residents who are dealing with foreclosures,” Township Supervisor Pat Kelly said.

The board unanimously passed a resolution to set the annual salary of township trustees at $4,800. The township supervisor's, clerk's and treasurer’s salaries will remain at $23,892.  Township Treasurer Vickie Kooyers will also continue receiving an additional $800 for her responsibilities as assistant to the assessor. The board has not given itself a raise in the past five years.

The board also set the salary of its director of planning and zoning at $58,800, the same as the previous four years, as well as kept the the hourly rates for its office manager, administrative assistant and election workers the same.

Kelly said she met with township employees prior to the board’s meeting, and all agreed to the proposed salaries.

“I don’t think anyone was upset that they didn’t get a raise this year,” she said.

In other action:

• The Washtenaw County Road Commission presented the board with its 2011 Local Road Program and project initiatives for Dexter Township. Proposed projects include shaping the existing road surface on Toma Road between North Territorial Road to Stinchfield Woods West at an estimated cost of $33,000; construction on Noah Road between Rainbow Drive West to the end of Certification Road at a cost of $20,300; and construction on North Lake Road at a cost of $25,400.

• State Rep. Mark Ouimet (R-Scio Township) addressed the board over questions on the Legislature’s passage of the emergency financial manager bills that would allow the governor to appoint a emergency financial manager to throw out union contracts and overrule elected officials in financially distressed municipalities and school districts. Ouimet said both the House and Senate versions of the bill provide a long list of triggers—such as missed vendor payments or failing to make payroll—before a financial manager would be sent to a municipality.

“The governor doesn’t want to run local governments,” he said, addressing recent allegations from protesters in Lansing.

Ouimet said of the municipalities in Washtenaw County, Sylvan Township and the city of Ypsilanti are at risk for financial management.