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These photographs were snapped just before 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Westview Golf Course parking lot. The blue Impala doesn't belong to the mayor, it belongs to the city of Quincy and is paid for with tax dollars, but the mayor drives it at his leisure...literally. Did you know that if you drive a company car, the expenses for that car are considered income and you are supposed to be taxed on it? But I digress. By the way, the mayor cast the deciding vote for the budget the night before, which included his raise to $88,883.

The car in the photograph below isn't a city car (surprisingly), but was also in the Westview parking lot around 3 p.m. and it belongs to the city's director of information technology, who just got a raise to $82,466 last night. I understand this car makes quite a few trips to Westview during what most of us consider to be business hours. The soccer schedules must be all printed up for the summer.

I would have taken more pictures because there were more city cars in the Westview parking lot on Tuesday than were probably at City Hall, but I didn't have that much time. After picking up my son, I was heading back to work. And I've already checked...there was no charity golf tournament going on Tuesday afternoon at Westview.

You know, everybody in Quincy is gonna take an afternoon or two off in the summer to play some golf. Fine. But to do it the day after you either voted on or received a nice raise at the taxpayers' expense is just bad form. It is arrogant as Hell.

Plus the weather wasn't that great.

What
Posts: 1

Who in
Reply #58 on : Thu May 07, 2009, 11:34:37

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their right mind would take the job at the salary?

I would not want the headaches that go with the job. Not even for the 88,000.

WHAT

Tspud1
Posts: 5

Re:
Reply #57 on : Mon May 04, 2009, 15:25:49

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Arrogant describes it.

Mhoram
Posts: 2

Re:
Reply #56 on : Mon May 04, 2009, 12:38:55

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There's a pretty wide range between minimum wage and $88K. No, I don't think anyone wants a mayor who can't afford a decent pair of shoes. But I'd have no problem dropping that salary to $30-40K. That's as much or more than the average salary in Adams County, and enough for someone to live comfortably near the center of town.

But the issue (in this post) isn't really the size of the salaries or the raises; that's a red herring. The issue here is that they pushed through a budget full of raises and then went for a celebratory golf outing during work hours the next day. It's the juxtaposition of those two things that's the problem, not either one by itself.

Either they didn't see anything wrong with that, which means they're not exactly tapped into the public mood; or they're so arrogant they don't care what anyone things about it. (Or that if anyone did notice, the TV and newspaper wouldn't cover it, so it wouldn't matter. Which is probably true.)

Laurie
Posts: 1

Mayor's Car
Reply #55 on : Sun May 03, 2009, 14:55:08

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I am shocked that tax dollars pay for the mayor to drive a new car at his leisure.
How many of the city workers have cell phones that tax dollars pay for?

jeff62301
Posts: 1

Salaries / Job Duties
Reply #54 on : Fri May 01, 2009, 15:09:53

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http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/09tables/html/RUS.asp

This is a link to the federal GS payscale. The duties of our local officials and those of comparable federal employees are fairly consistent with their salaries.

I think the real question is "Are they doing their jobs well?"

Why is everyone concerned that they make $80-90k?

What do people in comparable private companies make? I'm asking, I don't know.

I'm not saying I'm pleased or displeased with their job performance, I'm asking "Does anyone want a minimum wage mayor?"

bgough
Posts: 11

City Handbook
Reply #53 on : Fri May 01, 2009, 09:56:58

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They were in the process of being finalized last time I checked. I'll follow up.

fingers
Posts: 3

Contracts
Reply #52 on : Fri May 01, 2009, 09:53:39

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If no contracts, timecards, explicit policy, or agreement then I guess they would fall under the city employee handbook (I assume there's one of those).
So what does that say?

bgough
Posts: 11

Contracts
Reply #51 on : Fri May 01, 2009, 09:48:35

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I'm under the impression most of the department heads do not have contracts.

fingers
Posts: 3

Timecards
Reply #50 on : Fri May 01, 2009, 09:40:11

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2nd question would be what does the employment contract state then? And is there a "work hours" policy? Usually there's some sort of "core hours" if there's a flex-time program in place.

bgough
Posts: 11

Timecards?
Reply #49 on : Fri May 01, 2009, 09:02:11

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I'm not sure department heads fill out timecards. I can ask, but I imagine the answers will not come quickly.

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