By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

Salaries have become the focus of the Bucyrus City Council Finance Committee as the council sets the stonework for the next round of members in 2018, but the building blocks are not going together easily.

The committee was presented Thursday night with a packet of documents detailing salaries for the mayor, auditor, law director, treasurer, council president, and council members that dated back to 2000, along with salary comparisons for other cities similar in size. The salaries for mayor, auditor, and law director are set through 2019 with 2.91 percent increases in each year beginning in 2017.

Council president Sis Love noted that elected officials declined salary raises in 2010 and 2011. The following year the elected officials – with the exception of the treasurer – agreed to accept the 2009 salary rates, which sat at $5,679.29 for the council president and members, for 2012. All elected officials agreed to accept the 2009 rates in 2013.

Council members and the president received a 5.82 percent raise this year, bumping their salaries up to $6,179.29 from the last time members saw a raise in 2009. Treasurer Jane Cremeans, however, has had her salary remain stagnant at $8,392.14 since 2005. Before that Cremeans received a 3 percent raise for 2005, a 2.99 percent raise in 2004 and 2003, and a 28 percent raise from 2001 ($6,000) to 2002 ($7,680).

Cremeans expressed frustration over her compensation at a Finance Committee meeting in October and asked for a salary of at least $10,000.

The Finance Committee did not have information on how many hours Cremeans works in a month, but she is listed as a part-time employee. In comparison, Bellefontaine, which has a population of 13,370 versus Bucyrus’ 12,077, pays its part-time treasurer $11,000. Bucyrus outpaces Bellefountaine in its salaries for council members and president, however. Cambridge, with a population of 10,635, offers a $46,318 salary for its full-time treasurer.

“I don’t think it’s right,” argued council member Mark Makeever. “I said 11-5 ($11,500) should be adequate to help cover the expense. If she does not run again who’s going to replace her? Who’s going to do it for that?”

Auditor Joyce Schifer, who worked as the city’s treasurer at one point, said she would often work 25 hours per month in that position, though she noted she completed the work by hand then and the work has become more difficult since.

Council members in attendance estimated that Cremeans would be earning $27.97 an hour if she only worked 25 hours in a month.

“We don’t know what money we’re going to have,” cautioned Finance Chair Bill O’Rourke. “If you don’t like what it (the salary) is you don’t have to run. I don’t think any of us sitting here are doing it for the money.”

With only five council members in attendance for the joint committee meeting, the Finance Committee chose to hold off on any salary decisions in order to hear from other council members on the issue. The salaries do not need to be determined until 90 days before the May primary.

The Finance Committee will be seeking legislation for internet auctions, which is needed every year for the city to participate in online selling of personal property and equipment that has become obsolete. Another piece of legislation will amend the income tax ordinance due to a change at the state level to deadlines on withholdings. The city also received a property taxes exhibit from the county which allowed the Finance Committee to move forward with legislation on the County Budget Commission rates and amounts.

Auditor Schifer asked for an $117,000 appropriation within the Safety Forces levy for the police department to take care of hospitalization and salaries. Within the General Fund $83,000 will be transferred for the fire department to deal with similar issues.