Blogger Foreword: This post contains two letters and one summary of the actual cost of the payroll. Each is clearly identified, and a brief explanation about the payroll-related figures is included.
In 2012, the Trustees decided to hire a third road crew worker. The following letter is the Fiscal Officer's assessment of and advice concerning that decision.
May 3, 2012
Mantua Township Trustees
Jason Carlton
John Festa
Victor Grimm
Dear Trustees,
I want to go on record that I have advised you that the township has budgeted for two full time and a part time employee, and I have told you that I do not think that the budget can handle three full time employees. We may be able to handle this for the remainder of 2012, but certainly not on a long term basis. You have been made aware on numerous occasions that the township's revenues are decreasing, and will continue to decrease as a result of both state and economic cutbacks. Salaries are paid from Gas Tax, which had a 7% reduction of revenues over the past year. Benefits are paid from Road & Bridge, which had a 3% reduction of revenues over the past year.
We have remained in good financial condition through careful management of funds. I would like to continue fiscal conservation, rather than fiscal irresponsibility, which has gotten so many other governments in Ohio into financial trouble. Ultimately, however, the final decision on spending is yours.
Marie Stehli
Fiscal Officer
The following letter was read to the Trustees at the January 10, 2013, triple meeting: End of Year, Beginning of Year, and first regular meeting of the year. That meeting has been posted in the blog and does not have to be hunted up; just scroll down through January's posts.
January 10, 2013
Jason Carlton
John Festa
Victor Grimm
Dear Trustees:
I am providing information on attendence [sic] records as I usually do for your use in performing employee evaluations.
I have also looked over the salary situation in conjunction with my year end fund evaluation. If you remember, in the spring when you were considering hiring a third road worker, I recommended against it due to financial constraints. I am now apprising you of the following:
Hourly wages are as follows:
Mike Richards $13.45
Brian Tayerle $15.55
Dan Wysznski $12.75
Total Hourly $41.75
Base hours for 1 year 2080
1 year pay for 3 above $86840.00
Sick hours per year 288 12 days X 8 hours X 3 people
Maximum sick payout $12024.00
TOTAL PAYROLL FOR YEAR $98864.00
BUDGET PAYROLL FOR YEAR $97400.00
SHORTFALL FOR YEAR $1464.00
PLEASE NOTE- THESE FIGURES DO NOT INCLUDE OVERTIME.
As you know, pay increases were not included in the budget. Please carefully consider how you intend to handle 3 full time road employees with a decreased budget and not enough money to make payroll.
Marie Stehli
Fiscal Officer
Blogger: The hourly pay for each person is not the total cost for an employee. Benefits add almost 20% more to the amount that has to be budgeted for each employee. Those figures follow.
100.00 payroll
14.00 pers [Public Employees Retirement System]
1.45 medicare
0.90 unemployment
1.94 workers comp
118.29
[A slight explanation, if you need it: The 100 figure can be taken as a percentage or dollars. For purposes of this little table, which Marie provided, it makes sense to see the 100 as a dollar amount. So for every $100 in salaries, a road crew worker costs the township $118.29. Further information about this issue may be presented in the next trustees meeting.]
FYI: The decision to change the status of the part time employee to full time was made in May 2012, and Marie's letter above was presented [I believe] at the meeting when the trustees voted to do so, the idea having been introduced [I believe] at the previous meeting.
Based on Marie's advice, Trustee Grimm voted no.
Trustees Carlton and Festa voted yes.
Blogger: A final note. All of this information is a matter of public record open and available to anyone either by a records request or by looking at official meeting minutes. It is also probably available on a State of Ohio website which I have never felt the need to seek out.
The first time I encountered this kind of public information about things most of us consider private--what we are paid, what benefits we get and what they cost--I was shocked. But this kind of openness is exactly what keeps our government at every level as honest as possible. That's what makes it possible to catch and jail the DeMaura's (sp? and I hardly care to do a crook the courtesy of spelling his name right) and Russo's of the world.
It is also why we are, most of us, anyway, outraged when their criminal conduct is made public. We expect the people we elect to be honest. All money used to support our government, at every level, is from taxpayers--from us. We expect and have a right to expect that they will use our money thoughtfully, carefully, and ethically.
About This Blog
The purpose of this blog is to give an accurate account of what is said during Public Comment at Mantua Township Trustees meetings.
Trustees' decisions are in the official minutes, available on request from the Mantua Township Fiscal Officer, Jodi Thompson, at 330-274-8443. The Township charges 10 cents per page. FAX, 330-274-8447. E-mail, fiscalofficer@mantuatownshipohio.gov. The minutes are also posted on the website after they have been approved. That means that there is usually a two-week lag between a given meeting and the minutes being available to read on the website.
Since meetings are the first and third Thursdays of the month, there is a three-week wait during months with five Thursdays.
Other items of interest or the writer's opinions will be included from time to time, clearly identified.
This is not a forum or chat room, but a source of information, so it is closed to outside input.
During the time I have been doing the blog, the posts have expanded to become very detailed accounts of the meetings. Doing that is time consuming, to say the least, and I am going to try to return to the public comment focus, with background and perspective (and the occasional pointed editorial comment). Such additions are usually enclosed in brackets. However, since some extended accounts of the meetings reveal significant things--and character--better than I could by commenting, there will probably still be a fair amount of semi-transcript. (Sigh.)
My thanks to the readers who have found the blog, and to the ones who from time to time tell me that they value it. You have encouraged me when the tedious work of keyboarding has made me wonder why I am doing this. Then you have reminded me, and I am grateful.
Trustees' decisions are in the official minutes, available on request from the Mantua Township Fiscal Officer, Jodi Thompson, at 330-274-8443. The Township charges 10 cents per page. FAX, 330-274-8447. E-mail, fiscalofficer@mantuatownshipohio.gov. The minutes are also posted on the website after they have been approved. That means that there is usually a two-week lag between a given meeting and the minutes being available to read on the website.
Since meetings are the first and third Thursdays of the month, there is a three-week wait during months with five Thursdays.
Other items of interest or the writer's opinions will be included from time to time, clearly identified.
This is not a forum or chat room, but a source of information, so it is closed to outside input.
During the time I have been doing the blog, the posts have expanded to become very detailed accounts of the meetings. Doing that is time consuming, to say the least, and I am going to try to return to the public comment focus, with background and perspective (and the occasional pointed editorial comment). Such additions are usually enclosed in brackets. However, since some extended accounts of the meetings reveal significant things--and character--better than I could by commenting, there will probably still be a fair amount of semi-transcript. (Sigh.)
My thanks to the readers who have found the blog, and to the ones who from time to time tell me that they value it. You have encouraged me when the tedious work of keyboarding has made me wonder why I am doing this. Then you have reminded me, and I am grateful.
Principles
Two ideas guide and support me:
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
______Attributed to Edmund Burke
GOOD PREVAILS.
Those ideas are also the reason I have been doing the blog since late February 2011.
I have discovered that a transcript is almost impossible to do and that verbatim accounts are usually not absolutely necessary. When in doubt, I check against a recording.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
______Attributed to Edmund Burke
GOOD PREVAILS.
Those ideas are also the reason I have been doing the blog since late February 2011.
I have discovered that a transcript is almost impossible to do and that verbatim accounts are usually not absolutely necessary. When in doubt, I check against a recording.
