County Commission Pay Complaints Fail to Suggest What Remedy is Proposed

Citizens Study May Be the Appropriate Way to Determine Compensation Levels

October 19, 2008
By: Dave Rogers

Public and media outrage has broken out over the fact that Bay County Commissioners are receiving what some feel is high pay for representing the public.

But as of yet no reasonable remedy has been proposed.

If the pay of commissioners is too high, and this can be proven by comparison with other similar bodies, then perhaps a citizens study can be mounted to come up with a more satisfactory compensation program.

The outcry now seems to be just to replace those in office with those who seek the office. The public has no guarantee the newly elected commissioners would have any different attitudes regarding pay than those now holding the jobs.

If throwing the bums out would just result in a different set of bums, why do it?

The chorus of complaints does not allege that county commissioners are doing a bad job or are frittering away tax dollars like is the case with Congress.

In fact, Bay County government is one oasis of responsibility in a desert of governmental mismanagement from sea to shining sea.

If the total cost of the county commission is, as published reports put it, about $211,000 a year to manage a $33 million budget and $77 million more in various funds and keep them in the black, is that too much? Or perhaps too little?

The county budget is balanced every year and a substantial surplus is on hand to meet emergencies -- and dire emergencies appear on the immediate horizon.

What is fiscal responsibility (read good government) worth?

None of the complainers apparently has charged county commissioners with corruption. Just with receiving compensation that according to most governmental and business comparisons seems to be adequate to attract qualified, dedicated candidates.

The number of hours of "work" by commissioners seems to be a grey area. Some observers use just the actual hours of meetings as a measure of this work, failing to account for what must be many hours of constituent contact, study of issues, collaboration with colleagues, etc.

The question is, should county commissioners, and city commissioners who are perhaps on a similar level, be volunteers? Is that the remedy sought by the critics?

Boards of education receive no compensation and seem to attract qualified candidates, even if there is often little competition for the jobs.

School and college board members apparently are satisfied with the perks of prestige, recognition as community leaders, an opportunity to be "in the know" about local issues and an occasional trip to a national convention.

Education board members seem to have a dedication to make a contribution to their community and the young people who benefit from the education system. Would county and city commissioners have the same philanthropic attitude?

That is, obviously, the main question.

Would the county, and the city, run as well under similar constraints? Would unpaid commissioners be better, or worse, than those who now receive pay of $1,500 or more a month?

It may be an unfair comparison, but each member of Congress, both representatives and senators, receive $169,300 in salary a year. However, the government supports each member with 22 aides, an office, domestic travel allowance of $9,700 a year, foreign travel, an expense account and full retirement after five years service. In other words, one Member of Congress receives several times more in compensation and staff than the entire cost of the Bay County Commission.

What has it cost us, the taxpayers of the United States, because of Congressional misfeasance and malfeasance? What has a Congress cost that has allowed an unjustified war, profligate spending, uncontrolled debt and deregulation of financial markets that has destroyed the integrity of our job and trade markets and threatened the entire society?

A rational, analytical study by a dispassionate, non-partisan group may be the only way to determine if a course of action is required to continue integrity in local government.

But without that we should all be content at least in the fact that outright corruption has not been part of our recent history and county fiscal integrity has been maintained.###

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"The BUZZ" - Feedback From Readers

artconinmich Says:       On October 20, 2008 at 01:53 AM Doesn't the County Commission have an appointed pay commission that sets their pay? Or is a pay commission only utilized in non-partisan elections such as City Council, etc?

chess5 Says:       On October 23, 2008 at 10:08 AM I direct my comments to the "Benefits Paid" and not the performance by any Commissioner. I am not so much concerned about the dollars paid although I think they are questionable for someone who portends to be interested in serving the Public. As I see it, our County Commissioners are like employees not 'Elected Officials', as has been said, "If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, then it's a DUCK". I strongly object to the County giving them Health Care and Pension consideration as non-employees; remember they are ELECTED. I worked in various paid Public Service positions for over 32 years and know that in a administrative capacity the job is a 24/7 commitment if one is dedicated to SERVE. I have also spent many hours on various Boards and committees working for the good of our Citizens without much compensation similar to our School Board. I can understand some compensation for incidentals such as travel costs or meals when warranted, but, PAID BENEFITS are beyond reasonableness in my opinion. To some of the Commissioners this has been a "job" which in some cases may provide better benefits than their past employment in the Private Sector. I do not buy in to the self serving statement that the lack of such wide ranged BENEFITS would detract from the quality of individuals coming forth from the Community to "SERVE". I feel that some of these funds could be better spent hiring a "real employees' in some of our short handed strapped Departments. Please don't get trapped in the old game of comparison to other 'like' Communities. What others do may not be suitable to our needs. Let's be our own people and do the right thing hear and drop the Health and Pension Benefit package we already have hired employees who do a great job running this County. That is one of the reasons I voted for an Executive Form Of Government in the first place. The Commission should serve as a check and balance body without micro-managing and be compensated accordingly with stipends not "SALARIES".

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Dave Rogers
Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read, respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City. More from Dave Rogers

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