Concerned residents turned out for Tuesday night’s Bellville Village Council meeting to voice their concern over the possibility of a part-time mayor.
Village Solicitor Sarah Mussman read the second reading of an “Ordinance to Add a Section 31.08 to designate the mayor as a part time position for the purpose of employment benefits and to set the annual salary for the same.” The salary was noted to be $7,000.
The reduction would come as part of a change to allow a village administrator to oversee administrative duties. The village would seek a new administrator but the details of that position, including hours required, are not yet decided.
Councilmember David Griffon noted that the average village administrator salary for a village comparable to Bellville is approximately $34,000.
Currently a part-time administrator is employed at approximately six hours per week at the rate of $10,000 annually, according to council.
During the mayor’s report, Mayor Darrell Banks noted that Griffon was quoted during a telephone interview with The Bellville Star as saying that Hudson is the only village in Ohio that pays a higher salary to its mayor, and that the average mayor of a village the size of Bellville is paid $6,200 to $6,500.
Banks noted that Hudson, Ohio is a city of 22,000.
“The Village of Bellville mayor’s salary is $24,000. I believe with the hours I work, that comes to about $11.54 per hour, lower than any full-time employee of the village,” said Banks.
He went on to say that in 2014 he had voluntarily removed himself from the village healthcare plan at a savings to the village of $11,750. “But that cost me $5,934,” added Banks. “I voluntarily did that. No one asked me to and I’m the only one that should be blamed for that. But that brings my salary down to about $8.50 per hour.”
Banks addressed information utilized by some council members to find an average mayor’s salary, and noted that conclusions were drawn from fewer than 60 villages with similar populations but 20 available statistics were omitted. He also noted that division of labor between administrators and mayors were unknown.
Addressing Griffon’s quotes from The Bellville Star, Banks noted that mayors from three of the 20 villages omitted included salaries of $45,000; $50,000; and $40,206.
“Council members and citizens of Bellville,” said Banks, “I leave it to you to make your own conclusions.”
Councilmember Larry Rose noted he was not for the amendment as it stands, but was not sure what he would put in its place. He then asked to hear from former village solicitor Jeff Mussman.
Mussman said that the village could not count on having Banks “for eternity,” and that a transition into utilizing the administrator’s position must take place, though perhaps gradually.
“Eventually we’ll be able to count on having someone who is going to have the expertise to give day to day supervision of not only the water, sewer and street departments and employees, but supervision of these giant technologically complicated contracts that we’re in,” said Mussman. “This is the 21st century, and even the sewer system has a lot of technological stuff in it.”
Candace Branham of Bellville asked Griffon how he thought he could hire an administrator for $34,000 and where would the money come from.
Gail Roberts of Bellville echoed the sentiment. “Where are you coming up with this money, is what we all want to know. No one has answered that question,” she said.
“It is in the budget,” said Griffon. “That’s partly why we need to get the mayor’s salary set.”
“We’re hoping for someone that was an administrator in a larger city that wants to retire,” added Griffon. “We’ve also thrown out the possibility of hiring an administrator between Butler and Bellville.”
Banks asked if Griffon had addressed this with Butler, and Griffon said he had not.
Other items addressed included a parking ordinance for which a public hearing will be held March 17 at 6:30 p.m.
