First Posted: 3/6/2015
Lima Mayor David Berger, who has served for more than two decades in public office and is currently earning 34 percent more than he did 10 years ago, declined to comment about government salaries in this year’s public payroll study by The Lima News.
In doing so, he took a shot at this newspaper and the private sector in general.
“I will be glad to comment on the government salary project at the point at which The Lima News publishes the salaries of The Lima News’ publisher, editor and staff and the major employers in Lima and Allen County,” he said.
C’mon mayor. You’re better than that. You know it is about accountability to one’s boss.
In the private sector at places like The Lima News, the Lima Ford Engine Plant and the Kewpee, employees answer to the people who own their businesses. When someone is doing a bad job, or a competitor does a better job, people quit buying their products. That can lead to unemployment.
As for government jobs, the public is the boss, and it important for it to know how its tax money is spent. A large portion of taxes go toward paying government salaries. Thus, it is reasonable to inform the public how much they are paying their public servants.
The Lima News has been publishing its salary study for 22 years, one of the first newspapers in Ohio to do so. We continue to do so as part of our mission of being a community watchdog. The newspaper never knows what it is going to find when we begin the project each year. There are people listed on the charts in today’s newspaper who could be making more money in the private sector. Our stories often point this out. They’ve also pointed out questionable salaries.
Examples of both:
• In 2012, the project showed Cridersville Police Chief John Drake was paid more than $78,000, just $10,000 less than Lima chief Kevin Martin. It turned out Drake was working an exorbitant amount of overtime. By year’s end, Cridersville village council re-examined the police chief”s duties, making the job a salaried position paying $58,500, and Drake was not expected to work as much overtime.
• The effect of the ice storm on Lima and Allen County overtime budgets drew attention in 2006. A street supervisor earned more than $20,000 in overtime after working 18-hour days, seven days a week, for several weeks. He noted his personal life became a casualty to the ice storm.
• In 2005, the public was stunned to learn Allen County Sheriff Dan Beck gave a 23-percent raise to a 34-year employee, bringing his salary to $91,000. The driving force behind the $16,987 raise, according to Beck, was that he wanted to make sure one of his top men was taken care of in retirement.
• People were equally astonished to learn in 2000 the high cost of salaries needed to pay medical workers in Lima’s prisons. Four were paid more than $200,000, with the highest being $222,794. Today’s report shows no one over $200,000, with the highest being $193,000.
• In 2003, we reported several Allen County officials gave back some of their wages because of tight budgets in their departments. Commissioner Steve Diepenbrock donated $1,776. State law dictated that Clerk of Courts Ann Geiger receive a $697 raise, but she passed it on to her employees. Beck donated $577 because some staff members were not getting raises.
• In 1997, out of the top 50 salaries among all public school districts in Allen County, only 10 were earned by women. The highest-ranked woman was No. 12, and that was only because of the retirement buyout she received.
Are all of these situations right or wrong? In the end, that’s the public’s decision.
We can tell you most of our readers appreciate the payroll study. Every year after it’s published, they call with suggestions for next year’s report.