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WARREN -- City council will give a second reading Wednesday to legislation that would increase the salaries of the mayor, city auditor, law director and members of city council.
If the changes are adopted, Warren's structure of having the mayor remain the highest-paid employee at all times, and having all other raises for city positions tied to the mayor's salary, would be unique among other cities in Trumbull County.
Under the proposed legislation, the Warren mayor's salary must be 1 percent higher than the base salary of the highest-paid, wage-earning employee in the city. At no time will the mayor's salary be lower than 1 percent above the base pay of the city's highest paid official.
According to a chart provided by city Auditor Vincent Flask, Mayor Doug Franklin would see his salary increase from $87,796 in 2023 to $98,820 in 2024 and $104,873 by 2025.
All elected and appointed positions, such as council seats, the safety / service director, the law director and the auditor would have their annual salaries set based on percentages of the mayor's salary.
• The salary for law director would increase from $86,652 in 2023 to $97,822 in 2024 and $103,812 by 2025;.
• The auditor position's salary would increase from $80,724 in 2023 to $97,822 in 2024 and $103,812 in 2025;
• The safety / service director position would see its salary increase from $82,825 to $96,844 in 2024 and $102,772 by 2025;
• City council member salaries would go from $11,109 in 2023 to $19,764 in 2024 and $20,571by 2025.
According to the document, the total increase for the city would be $260,145.
'CHAIN OF COMMAND'
After the ordinance had its first reading at council's Sept. 13 meeting, Franklin said the changes were suggested to better suit city personnel.
"I think people should look at this as the offices -- and not the individuals in them," Franklin said. "They need to be adjusted just to make our wage structure more appropriate in terms of chain of command. I think that is the goal."
Council Finance Chairman Greg Greathouse, D-3rd Ward, said discussions about raising pay of elected officials began several months ago when city Auditor Vince Flask and Law Director Enzo Cantalamessa sought to raise wages their assistants. The assistants' salaries are a percentage of what the elected officials earn.
Warren's structure of having the mayor remain the highest-paid employee, and having all other raises for city positions tied to the mayor's salary, differs from other municipalities.
NILES
Niles Auditor Giovanni Merlo said Niles' salary schedule is not similar to Warren in terms of tying employees together through percentages.
"There was a salary schedule that was put in place that city council passed. It's just an annual salary, it's not tied to any other employees," Merlo said.
Merlo said there is nothing in any Niles legislation that says that the mayor must be the highest paid employee in the city.
Niles Mayor Steve Mientkiewicz has made $70,085 per year since 2020, but the mayoral salary will increase to $88,000 in 2024 and $95,000 by 2027. The annual salary of the auditor will be $88,000 in 2024 to $94,000 in 2027. The auditor will make $70,000 in 2023. The annual salary of the law director will increase from $57,500 in 2024 to $63,500 in 2027. The law director has made $43,500 per year since 2020.
The annual salary for the two-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2024, will be $11,000 for president of council, up from $8,431; and $10,500 for at-large and ward council members, up from $8,085.
HUBBARD
Hubbard Auditor Michael Villano said the salary schedule for officials in Hubbard is nothing like what Warren is discussing.
Mayor Ben Kyle earns $45,000 annually. His salary is the second most among elected or appointed officials, with Villano paid a $50,000 salary.
Council members in Hubbard earn $6,600 per year while council President William J. Williams earns $6,900. Hubbard's law director makes $32,000 annually, the safety director earns $16,800 per year, and the treasurer is paid $10,000.
"Ours are all different," Villano said. "How our council came up with that, aside from comparing other similar sized cities, that's usually what they do. Ours are (not) cured off of the mayor's salary and everyone else falls in line based on that. We don't do that here."
GIRARD
Girard Auditor Julie Coleman said there is no ordinance in place in Girard that requires the mayor to be the highest paid city employee.
"Not that I'm aware of," she said. "As long as I've been here, there has been no mention of that."
Coleman noted Warren officials recently called her office to ask for salary information, including how much the mayor and city council members are paid.
She said salaries of elected and appointed officials in Girard are not directly connected to the mayor.
"Ours is not similar to that in any way, shape or form," Coleman said.
Coleman said the mayor of Girard, James Melfi, is the city's highest-paid elected official. He earns $52,994 annually.
Coleman said safety / service director Jerry Lambert has a higher salary than the mayor. Lambert's salary was raised to $63,946 in April 2022. Fire Chief Jim Petruzzi earns $71,478 annually. Coleman said Girard council members make $8,100 per year.
"They're two-year terms, and basically they keep the salary to meet years of service for pension," Coleman said.
Coleman said council recently passed pay raises for its members. The salary for a Girard council member will be $8,658 in 2024, $8,811 in 2025, $8,964 in 2026, $9,123 in 2027, $9,287 in 2028 and $9,443 in 2029.
The salary of council president will be $8,660 in 2024, $8,813 in 2025, $8,966 in 2026, $9,125 $2027, $9,289 in 2028 and $9,445 in 2029.
LOOKED AT NEIGHBORS
Warren Councilman Greg Greathouse, D-3rd Ward, said when determining what would be fair pay for elected and appointed officials, the city looked to neighboring areas, including Niles, Girard and Youngstown to see what their elected officials make.
Greathouse said he found many mayors of neighboring cities were being paid more than what Franklin has been paid in Warren.
Greathouse determined the simplest way to determine a new salary structure for the city would be to tie police and fire union employees, as well as Local 74 and Local 2501 members representing other city employees, into the salaries of elected and appointed officials.
Greathouse said that through this system, the pay of city employees would be based on performance. He said the city will have no problem funding increases.
"If the city is in a bad place financially, the unions get nothing. If the unions get nothing, then nobody gets anything," he said. "If the city has the financial resources to pay the union employees, police, fire, and the two other locals, if they've got money to pay them an increase, then they've got the money to pay the elected officials an increase."