BOC Approves Salary Increase for Sheriff, Undersheriff

HARRISON – When the March 16 meeting of the Clare County Board of Commissioners had worked through all of the speakers and agenda motions presented for BOC approval, Item D-5 was addressed: Elected/Non-Union Wage Committee Discussion.

Commissioner Dale Majewski gave a brief introduction of the committee [comprised of Commissioners Jeff Haskell, Bronwyn Asplund and himself] as having met and decided on a plan of action.

“We met a couple weeks ago,” he said. “And looked at all the information, and basically came up with a suggestion to bring to the board.”

That plan was a 10% increase for both Sheriff John Wilson and Undersheriff Dwayne Miedzianowski, for the current year with a potential, after review, for an additional 10% next year.

Majewski put that proposed increase forth in the form of a motion, and then the serious commentary began. First, Asplund spoke of having asked for a second committee meeting, and to speak with the sheriff and undersheriff. She zeroed in on the importance of communicating with representatives from all the county department heads.

“And that never transpired,” she said. “I feel badly about that; I wish that could’ve taken place, because there was some miscommunication.”

Commissioner Rick Fancon then spoke of the importance of hitting the higher wage benchmark in order to retain quality officers.

“One, in order to get people to run for this position, we’ve got to a competitive wage with surrounding counties,” Fancon said. “No. 2, the revenue we get from the sheriff’s department we’re dependent on.”

He pointed out that the proposed 10% would not bring both positions up to even the average wages for those positions in surrounding counties – adding that Gladwin County, specifically, would be the one that should be used for comparison.

Majewski then said the board would have to look at setting salaries in other departments and other elected officials on par with wages set for the sheriff and undersheriff. Asplund responded by saying that comment was “faulty reasoning,” adding that it was an “apples to oranges” comparison and that each department should be looked at based on its own standards.

Fancon then said commissioners need to take the names out of the equation and then look at the position, adding that the wages also would need to be sustainable.

“You’ve got to look at that also,” he said. “Where would be if we didn’t have the inmates right now, without that revenue coming in? Look at that position and what it holds, and what the other departments hold in surrounding counties. There’s more responsibility for this position right here, and the $82,000 average is where it should be at.”

Majewski then called attention back to the motion on the floor waiting for a second to enable discussion. Haskell seconded the motion, allowing for discussion.

Haskell explained that several elements came into arrival at the committee’s decision. That included comparing benefits packages between counties [with Clare County having what would be considered a Cadillac package], as well as how the county would be able to incorporate into the current and next year’s budget the recent $325,000 yearly wage increases to the sheriff’s department, corrections bargaining units.

In helping the commissioners understand where the “apples and oranges” actually were, Miedzianowski described the volume difference between the Clare and Gladwin sheriff departments deal with as “night and day.” He noted the long-standing comparison of Clare and Gladwin, due to being in the same judicial district, and pointed out the huge revenue the Clare County department brings in, while Gladwin generates no inmate revenue.

The sheriff then spoke of the difference between his department and Isabella. He said Isabella has 45 employees compared with Clare’s 70, and Isabella doesn’t oversee its Central Dispatch and Wilson does. He also noted the many variables to consider when making comparisons, i.e., the six policing agencies in Isabella County plus a Michigan State Police post.

“I think we also have to look at the future,” said Commissioner Stephanie Brown. “Retaining employees, getting new employees in there – we faced that with the deputies. If we’re not offering a substantial or fair wage, we’re not going to get qualified applicants. Where if you do, you’re a training spot for them; they train and then they leave because they can find more [funds] somewhere else. These salaries they’re at right now are inadequate for the work they do. And you’re not going to find additional personnel that would be willing to take on the roles and responsibilities of that program.”

Asplund added that every one of her townships has spoken very positively about the sheriff and undersheriff.

“And given the facts and what the sheriff and undersheriff are proposing – no funds are being asked from the public,” she said. “It’s all from the Commissary Fund. And they’re requesting not anything exorbitant … basically to be in comparison to other counties.

“Our townships have all said, in their opinions, that we have the best sheriff and undersheriff in the whole state.”

Fancon again brought the focus back to the simple fact that the positions need to be supported because they, in turn, support the generation of much-needed renter revenues for the county.

After commissioners debated changing the motion on the floor to better align the proposed wages with the Gladwin undersheriff wage of $77,000 and sheriff wage of $83,000-plus, Wilson said that the proposed 10% and 10% would still leave the two falling farther and farther behind. It was pointed out that procedure required a vote on the original motion; a roll call vote saw Majewski’s motion fail [dissenting votes cast by Fancon, Brown, Bristol and Asplund.

Then Asplund proposed a motion to raise both wages up by $10,000 in both the current and upcoming budget years. That motion also failed [dissenting votes cast by Majewski, Haskell, Bristol and Pitchford].

A third motion was made by Commissioner Bristol and seconded by Fancon to increase the sheriff’s salary by $17,033 and the undersheriff’s salary by $18,064. Both would be paid out in two equal parts, the first to start immediately and the second to start with the next fiscal year which begins Oct. 1, 2022. That motions was seconded by Rick Fancon, and once again the vote was called.

And so it was, on a mild March morning, with dissenting votes cast by Commissioners Majewski and Haskell, the Clare County Sheriff and Undersheriff saw their salaries rise to the current level of their counterparts in Gladwin County.