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I introduced legislation two months ago to adjust the salaries of all elected officials, and others, in Warren city government for the first time in 15 years. During those 15 years the cost of living has risen over 42%, effectively representing a pay decrease by almost half for the legislative and administrative branches of government in the city.
During those two months four separate finance committee meetings were held to offer time for public questions, debate and consideration of alternatives. Only four citizens attended the Oct. 19 finance meeting; two spoke in opposition. No one at any of those meetings has offered an alternative way of addressing the salary dilemma that has arisen over those 15 years.
Over those 15 years we have watched the pay disparity grow ever larger between Warren and surrounding communities. The following are just a few examples:
In Warren, each council person makes an average of $2.83 per person they represent ($11,109 per year).
In Youngstown, each council person makes an average of $3.23 per person they represent ($27,817 per year).
In Howland Township, each trustee makes an average of $3.85 per person they represent ($23,409 per year).
In Niles, each council person makes an average of $3.95 per person they represent ($10,500 per year).
In Champion Township, each trustee makes an average of $5.63 per person they represent ($17,638 per year).
In Girard, each council person makes an average of $6.34 per person they represent ($8,658 per year).
In Bristol Township, each trustee makes an average of $15 per person they represent ($13,606 per year).
The council wages in Youngstown have been frozen for the same 15 years period as Warren, but a Youngstown council person's salary is $27,817, a difference between Warren and Youngstown of $16,708 per year. That's more than twice as much as Warren. Over those same 15 years, a council person in Youngstown has made $250,620 more than a council person in Warren. That's a quarter of a million dollars more than a Warren council person.
In repeated criticism of this legislation, or of any pay raise for government officials, the Tribune Chronicle and social media trolls have disregarded the disparity of compensation across the Mahoning Valley. I've given these figures to the newspaper four times, but it has chosen to not publish them, I suspect because it doesn't support opposition to this legislation.
Where is the outrage over Bristol trustees making $15 per person, six times more per person than a Warren council person?
Where is the outrage over Youngstown council people making a quarter of a million dollars more in the past 15 years?
Where are alternative ideas to address this inequity?
All the keyboard warriors have been long on criticism, but short on suggestions. It's much easier to stand on the sidelines and throw stones than to do the actual work of solving a problem.
Warren Deserves Better, the group behind the failed effort to force charter government onto the city, spent over a year telling people how a charter would cure all the city's ills. They said raising the job requirements for elected officials would result in an administration and council with greater experience, expertise and education. Demanding higher qualifications without fair compensation will not achieve success for the city.
Warren Deserves Better, and defeated mayoral candidate Ken MacPherson, have made no secret about plans to begin circulating petitions to roll back these salary adjustments, forcing a referendum vote in the future. I encourage anyone thinking of signing the petition to consider this: Wouldn't compensating any potential candidate for elected position with a salary commensurate with their higher experience, expertise and education be the most effective method to attract and retain them? Warren Deserves Better and Ken MacPherson would have you believe you can pay less and get more. Everyone knows that's not how it works in the real world. This legislation provides a way to accomplish what they demand, yet they are actively opposed to it. Their thinking defies logic.
This legislation addresses the pay inequities in Warren while providing a mechanism to respond to the financial realities of the future. Since the raises are linked to union contracts, if there isn't money to provide the union employees a pay increase in the future, there won't be money for elected officials either.
For these reasons and more, the majority of elected council members voted for passage of this important legislation.
Greg Greathouse is 3rd Ward councilman and council's finance committee chairman in Warren.