Assembly cuts Mayor’s salary
The assembly voted unanimously to reduce the mayor’s annual salary to $7,000 from $15,000. The cut will not go into effect until after October’s mayoral election.
Several members of the public have criticized the reduction. Carol Tuynman said that while she appreciated the effort to reduce costs and improve efficiencies, she believed “the opposite effect will result from the proposed reduction of mayoral compensation and the process it was used by comparing to other borough communities in the region.”
In communities with a manager form of government like Haines, the borough manager, rather than the Mayor, is the chief administrator who hires and fires employees, supervises enforcement of municipal law, prepares budgets and other duties described in Alaska statute.
Assembly member Ron Jackson proposed the salary cut in May, citing Alaska Municipal League data. Petersburg’s mayor receives $5,400 a year, and Sitka and Kodiak mayors get $6,000. Skagway’s mayor receives $12,000 and Wrangell’s mayor is unpaid.
Assembly member Tom Morphet argued the cut is a “logic-based decision based on comparable communities and comparable governments.”
Assembly members are paid $3,500 a year.
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Schnabel gives Ryan raise to stay
Haines Borough Manager Debra Schnabel offered Public Works Director Brad Ryan a $7,000 raise and four extra vacation days to stay in Haines. Ryan was sought out by a municipal headhunter and was later offered a borough manager position in Dillingham with a salary of $115,000 a year, $10,000 for moving expenses and 40 days of vacation time, Schnabel said.
“He was made an offer which was shown to me in writing and he told me what it would take for him to stay,” Schnabel said. “We negotiated that.”
Although nothing’s in writing yet, Schnabel offered Ryan the raise that would bring his salary up to $93,196 a year, $600 less than the Schnabel’s salary. Morphet said he wasn’t concerned about Ryan receiving a raise, but took issue with the way it was given.
“It gives me pause to think that other employees might seek employment outside the borough and use those offers for leverage as a raise,” Morphet said. “Now we have two positions that pay as much or more as our borough manager position.”
Haines Borough Police Chief Heath Scott makes $97,850 a year.
In a separate interview Schnabel said the raise is worthwhile.
“It’s a year or two out before I’d get the same service that I had with Brad right now,” Schnabel said. “He has competency. He’s very bright. He and I work together well. The borough has more to gain by him being retained.”
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Resident seeks compensation from borough
The assembly is requesting advice from its attorney after Kyle Fossman asked for reimbursement from the borough for costs related to building a water pump and pump house. Fossman bought property on Piedad Road and said two borough staff members told him the required hookup for the water would provide enough pressure. In April, however, water pressure measured between 5 to 10 pounds per square inch, not enough to reach his house.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation considers water flowing at 20 psi unsafe to drink and is a minimum pressure required by many regional municipalities, including Haines.
Fossman built the pump house and plans to install a pump to achieve adequate water pressure, but wants the borough to pay up to $5,000 or half of the costs associated with the construction and electricity needed to operate the pump. He estimates the total construction at around $10,000.
Borough manager Debra Schnabel recommended the assembly reimburse Fossman $1,771 for the cost of the borough’s requirement to hook up to its water system if a building is less than 200 feet away.
Morphet suggested providing Fossman a lump sum of $6,000.
Schnabel said she was concerned about setting a precedent and that other residents with low pressure could make similar requests for compensation.
Assembly member Heather Lende said the borough was morally and ethically bound to compensate Fossman.
Assembly member Sean Maidy compared the situation to buying a car and said when a person is told the car works “and it turns out it doesn’t work the way it was told to work, you’re liable and you should have grounds to return the car or get some kind of redress for your grievance.”
The assembly decided to consult with the attorney on how to settle with Fossman and not set a precedent.
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Funding of service areas more flexible
The assembly unanimously voted for an ordinance that allows the borough to fund service areas with other revenues in addition to property tax, including sales taxes and other grants.
The ordinance was created as borough staff worked to fund a proposed borough-wide police service area with revenues other than property tax.
Morphet said he was uncomfortable using sales tax revenues paid by residents outside a service area to fund a service in a specific geographical region.
The Haines Borough currently funds the townsite police department with property tax, sales tax and a state grant.
Schnabel said the borough could not fund townsite service are services-police, public works and animal control-with property taxes alone.
“If we right now were to fund all costs of our service area within the townsite (with property tax) we would be over the ten percent (property) tax cap and the community wouldn’t be able to participate in funding the school,” Schnabel said.