By: Diane Benjamin
In case you have never read it, the contract is posted on-line: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7935
This version is from April 2013, retro-active to January 12, 2013.
The contract expires January 11, 2017.
Hales was due for evaluation on or before January 12, 2015, but it still hasn’t happened except in emails from some Council members.
Hales is allowed 25 vacation days a year and a car allowance of $475 per month ($5700 a year!).
His salary, before benefits, is listed as $171,300.00. Hales has since received a raise since in 2014 he was paid a base salary of $176,439.00.
If another raise for Hales does make it to the agenda, this is my prediction:
David Sage loves David Hales – he will vote Yes
Karen Schmidt normally sides with Sage – she will vote Yes
It wouldn’t be on the agenda unless Tari wanted it, so:
Diana Hauman, Joni Painter and Scott Black will vote Yes
Jim Fruin wants every vote to be unanimous, so he will vote Yes
Kevin Lower will vote NO because the City is not financially sound.
If the vote is before Judy Stearns leaves office on 4/30, she will vote NO, if not, her replacement will vote YES.
So the vote is either 7-2 or 8-1.
Would Hales take another job if he doesn’t get a raise? Not a chance. He isn’t vested for a pension until he works for the City for 8 years. Hales has to declare by July 2016 if he wants to continue employment when his contract expires. Hales is in charge of a sinking ship, what do you think he will do?
When he is gone the blame game will start by the Council members and media who supported him. Tom Hamilton was a great leader until he quit.
The game continues.
I predicts he stays. By my siphering in the Bend. OR news article he was 59 in 2003. That would put him at about 70 to 71 years old. I doubt anyone else would even consider him for employment.
He was 49 in bend. 59 was an error. He will have multiple pensions and be gone in 2017
I want to know how he has a base salary in the $170s PLUS nearly $500 a month for a car. That could easily get cut or his salary be reduced to include the amount. Better yet, why does he NEED a paid car? How does his salary compare to our police and fire chiefs?
What other cities our size have managers making this much?!?
Champaign City Manager makes $178,000. Peoria make 182,000. Normal is around 175,000. I found this link: http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/thonline.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/27/d2717262-fd77-11e3-8ed9-0017a43b2370/53ada28939bd9.pdf.pdf
What we’re not seeing is a reduction in salary in those positions and that needs to be done. The private sector has significantly reduced salaries from what they used to be like. Like most things in government those making the salary decisions don’t care because it isn’t their money. Then there is this misconception that if they pay more they’ll get someone good aka the best. LMAO on that one. Trust me they would get candidates at $90K or even at $80K which is what should be done.
I would like to know why this isn’t a position filled by someone who at least has a very strong working knowledge of the history of Bloomington-Normal, the general McLean County area, the history of the Airport Authority, etc. And I mean, political history as well. But not spoon-fed disinformation from somebody looking out for themselves, but multiple different perspectives from different points of view. Has Mr. Hales accomplished this much? I feel it’s time for a test of his knowledge. Can he answer basics of the more recent history (Buchanan years onward)? I wouldn’t expect him to completely understand all the local historical families fussings and fuedings (those would be more like extra credit, obscure “in the know” kinda bonus questions/answers.) Maybe this could be a fun game for us all. I guess I think the position would be better filled by a homegrown elder w/deep ties and all kindsa working knowledge: Mr. Jack Keefe comes to mind as does Mr. Jim Fruin. (That’s right, I think Alderman Fruin would serve the city well in the capacity of City Manager.) Both have extensive knowledge of much of the inner workings of the local government (personalities as well as regulations both written and unwritten, past and present, and especially have, no doubt, a more “realistic” viewpoint of how real estate developers, construction trades, bankers, insurers, etc. operate. In other words, they’ve seen alot of stuff business and government wise. Additionally, they could call out the local bullshit and can probably call out the best of them, but in a very congenial, good natured way. Especially Jack on that.
Why do we hire outsiders to try to fix something that they cannot even begin to comprehend? Why would an outsider want to try to fix this big mess? Cripes, any rational person I think would totally have left by now. Cuz, let’s face it folks, we are a little “different” in these parts, especially to someone who’s spent much time in an expansive state that was built on hope, i.e. Utah. I’m not sure anyone settled in Bloomington because they thought it would be peaceful. Like the way they all migrated to Utah to found a Utopian society, but l digress.
Anyways, if anyone “deserves” or has “earned” a pension around here, I’m gonna say, it ain’t the guy who’s only been here less than a decade. How about the generations of families that have put so much more into this community? What of they who have worked quietly, perhaps at jobs that barely pay a living wage, let alone enough to set back for a retirement? Why should their money be taxed from them to give to Mr. Hales? Who will save for their retirement, surely not they themselves, as they are living hand-to-mouth, paycheck-to-paycheck as it is. Has this position even been offered to a McLean Countian possessed of specialized knowledge of Bloomington-Normal in particular, but also the interplay of the various outlying towns and townships? At least the adjacent ones?
But, then again, it is easier to keep the waters murky when you bring in someone who cannot possibly “get up to speed” with the job real quick, and is already planning an exit strategy. Why should Bloomingtonians fund his pension? What about his hometown or the one that he worked w/in for the longest period of time. To me, if he wanted to feel truly deserved of a pension, he would collect from them. Not we, who are strangers to him. Will he reinvest any of his pension in the future through commerce and trade within our humble borders? Will he continue on as a taxpayer w/in the community upon retirement? Will generations of his family stay here to continue a tradition and give back to Bloomington who has so graciously bestowed a decent amount of wealth upon them?
Only 9% bothered to vote and 2 seats weren’t contested. People don’t care.