by Diane Benjamin

Tonight the City Council will approve a huge raise for David Hales.  The poor guy hasn’t received a pay raise since he was hired, his salary is only $150,000 per year.  Everything is so great in Bloomington, he obviously deserves an increase!  The roads are great and pensions are funded.  The City never wastes money on study after study, and the managed competition debate has only been going on for close to 3 years.

Government at every level loves to set salaries based on what other cities etc pay their employees.  How does David’s salary compare?

Bloomington – population 77,071 (2011)

City Manager Salary: $150,000.00 (City Manager since 2009)

Decatur – population 76,096 (2011)

City Manager Salary: $136,603.88  (City Manager since 2008)

Champaign – population 81,291 (2011)

City Manager Salary $146,962.33  (City manager since 2000)

The council will vote tonight for the huge increase – $21,300.  Hales was hired at a higher salary than cities approximately the same size pay their managers.  With the huge raise, he will be making far more than other people holding the same job.

Salaries of average Americans has been decreasing for years.  There is a national war on the middle class and the poor through higher energy and food prices.  But if you are in government, the rules are different.