By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Livingston County Commissioners have voted themselves a pay raise for the first time in over a decade.

What turned out to be a controversial approval from last week’s Finance Committee meeting came to the full Board for final approval, Monday night. Commissioners’ wages have not changed since 2009 which led to spirited debate about should they, by how much, and what does that tell the public in the middle of a pandemic?

Glenn and Jeannine Gogoleski are small business owners from Hartland who didn’t think raises were a good idea in the current climate. During public comment they called the optics “bad,” and said it calls into question what other judgements are going to be made in terms of financial issues. Janine said their small business is affected by the pandemic and if there is extra money, perhaps it should be used to help restaurant owners in the county.

Other members of the public spoke uniformly against the decision to increase wages during public comment, including the head of Livingston County Democrats, Judy Daubenmier, and incoming Republican Commissioner-elect Mitchell Zajac. In addition to the oft-used “optics” of it, there were thoughts that this decision should have been made pre-election and as part of budget talks.

Commissioner Doug Helzerman said he took phone calls on this since the committee meeting that have helped sharpen his opinion. He offered amended amounts that brought the average of raises from the 7.7% range, down closer to a 5-6% average. The new $19,000 salary for Board Chair remained the same, but Helzerman suggested dropping the Vice Chair’s proposed salary from $18,500 to $17,000, and Board Members from $16,500 to $16,000. Board Members currently make $15,326 per year.

Those in favor of raises, pointed to other county positions receiving them annually (including 2.25% this year), a healthy fund balance, and a contingency fund that allows for it.

Commissioner Jay Gross said he didn’t feel the proposals were outrageous at all. He calculated that if they received the same percentage increases as staff, they’d be in the $17,700 range. Even a 1% cost of living increase, which this would not be, would be a higher amount than the $16,000 they will receive. He did add that looking forward perhaps they could make changes in the way they go about this topic.

Commission Vice-Chair Kate Lawrence said they are different from the county employees as Commissioners are part-time, and not full-time. She said she had no issues giving full-time employees raises, but has a hard time doing it for herself, right now. Lawrence said she’d rather look at this next cycle and consider raises at that time, perhaps after a study is done. She said she believes they are paid in the middle range of commissioners in the state, and that she thinks they are compensated fairly for the jobs they do. Commissioners are also the only part-time county employees who receive benefits, including health coverage and pension contributions.

Commissioner and 47th State House-elect Bob Bezotte pointed out that this issue is always taken up after the budget is prepared. He said he’s voted against it his previous 3 years in office, but was voting in favor this time. Bezotte said he won’t be affected by it, but that he feels the Chair, the Vice Chair, and Finance Chair all put in enormous amounts of time and deserve some recognition in a pay raise. According to Bezotte, in the time since the Commissioners last had a wage increase, the County Prosecutor’s pay has gone up $23,710, the Sheriff’s pay has increased by $20,111, the Drain Commissioner makes an extra $19,546, the Clerk makes an additional $16,512, and the Treasurer’s pay has gone up by $18,588. Bezotte also added that he feels some commissioners don’t deserve a raise and that they are an embarrassment, although he didn't specify anyone in particular.

Commissioner Jay Drick said he has received threats since the committee meeting, takes offense to them - saying he doesn’t appreciate the bullying and unprofessionalism that has come his way. He said he felt the amount of the proposed raises were exaggerated and portrayed of as being “huge,” when in fact they were not. Drick supported Helzerman’s motion to drop from a 7.7% increase to 5%. He said it was only after December 9th when everyone got their raises, when they approved $19-million to help the suffering locally, and when they were assured of a healthy fund balance that it was decided to give themselves a “tiny” raise - their first in 11 years. Drick said it will come out to a little more than $10,000 out of a $90-million budget, and that they have a large contingency fund for things like this. He said for all the reasons he’s heard stated for them not getting raises, they were all true when they gave everyone else their big raises, and if no one had heartburn for those, they shouldn’t now, “unless something else is going on.” Drick said they have massively taken care of their constituents, and have now corrected an 11 year situation for themselves.

Both the amendment for reduced raises and the official approval of those raises passed by the same 5-4 votes. Voting in favor were Commissioners Gross, Helzerman, Bezotte, Drick, and Bill Green. Votes against were cast by Commissioners Lawrence, Carol Griffith, Gary Childs, and Wes Nakagiri.