By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
LAKE ORION — Lake Orion’s Village Council approved 4% raises for administrative officer and non-union employees on May 27 to keep non-union employees on pace with collective bargaining agreements for union employees.
Village Manager Darwin McClary recommended the 4% adjustments along with 3.1% adjustments to pay ranges for the positions, according to a council action summary sheet, which says “the salary and wage increase is commensurate with the increases approved for the POAM and AFSCME employees.” The pay range increases were also approved.
According to the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics, the annual average price of all items in the Detroit metropolitan statistical area rose by 3% percent last year. Village documents say the state’s 2024’s inflation rate was 3.1%.
While the raises approved are at least nearly 0.9% higher than the inflation rate, McClary said employees are in effect taking a pay cut if the village does not give them an adjustment at least equal to the rate of inflation.
“If we want to retain good employees, and we do have outstanding employees in the village, we have to make sure that we are providing competitive compensation to them,” McClary said. “So, this year I am requesting a 4% adjustment for all of our non-union employees.”
Council Member Michael Lamb said, as someone who has worked for the federal and local government, “retention of employees within the government structure is almost as important as competency because of the knowledge required of the working environment – meaning our community.”
McClary said the village also employees a director who will be in their fifth year of working for the village next year.
For this reason, McClary added there needs to be discussions on bringing that director “somewhat close to the maximum salary.”
The 4% adjustments bring the clerk/treasurer’s salary to $81,354, the deputy clerk/treasurer’s to $67,118, the public works director’s to $81,354 and the police chief’s to $91,000.
The deputy finance director/treasurer’s hourly wage to $26.25 the police lieutenant’s to $38.73, the lifeguard supervisor’s to $20.80, the returning lifeguard’s to $18.72, a new lifeguard’s to $17.68 and office coordinator, account clerk and utility billing clerk the to $25.07.
The village manager’s adjusted salary is pending negotiation, but the amount listed before the position’s adjustment is $95,500.
The pay range increases for positions were also listed in village documents.
The village manager position’s salary range is now from $92,017 to $112,585, the clerk/treasurer’s position range is $71,448 to $89,852, the deputy clerk/treasurer position’s range is $63,870 to $82,274, the public works director position’s is $71,448 to $89,852 and the police chief position’s is $75,778 to $96,347.
The deputy finance director/treasurer position’s hourly wage range is now $26.02 to $33.83, the police lieutenant position’s is $33.48 to $41.64, and the office coordinator, account clerk and utility billing clerk position’s ranges are now $21.65 to $25.98. Ranges are not listed for the village’s lifeguard positions.
Performance evaluations were not completed as of the meeting. Council Members George Dandalides and Nancy Moshier did not mention inflation, but said they want employees to be compensated for their performance rather than just moving up a pay scale.
The increases will result in increased payroll taxes, 7.65% of the increased pay, and contributions to employee defined contribution retirement programs at 10% of the increase in the base pay, according to the council action summary sheet.
Performance evaluations will be completed this month.