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Pay raises in Dayton

Dayton residents approved a pay raise for town officials Tuesday, Nov. 20.

During a special meeting of electors, Dayton offials presented their case for an increase in their salaries.

Based on the pay and the number of hours spent in meetings, responding to constituents and researching issues, township officials make less than minimum wage, according to Jim Peglow, a former town chairman in Dayton.

“I’m close to 25 to 30 hours per week, more in the summer when there’s construction going on,” said Town Chariman Chris Klein when asked how much time he spends working for the township.

Supervisor Bruce Golding estimated he works at least 10 hours per week for the township.

In addition to fielding calls from constituents, Golding said he does maintenance on town roads and boat landings.

Town Clerk Judy Suhs said she is at the town hall Tuesday afternoons and several evenings after work.

She also works at home on the weekends.

“The only other town that has office hours is Farmington,” Suhs said. “None of the other town halls have hours.”

On an election day, Suhs said she works about 16 hours.

“I’m the first one in the building and the last one to leave,” Suhs said. “The week before this last election, I was in the building three to four hours a day.”

Klein noted that when he was Dayton’s town chairman in 1997, he was paid a salary of $6,000. Fifteen years later, the salary has risen by $1,000.

He compared the salaries paid to town chairman in Farmington and Mukwa, noting that Farmington’s chairman earns $11,500 per year, while the town chairman in Mukwa earns $10,000.

Farmington has a population of 3,988, Mukwa has a population of 2,937 and Dayton has a population of 2,748.

Peglow made a motion from the floor to raise the salaries of Dayton officials to the same level as was being paid in Mukwa.

Those present voted unamimously in favor of the raise.

Starting in April 2013, the chairman will be paid $10,000. the two supervisors will be paid $5,000 each, the clerk will receive $21,000 and the treasurer will receive $10,000.

Town budget approved

After a public hearing on Nov. 20, the Dayton Town Board approved $940,482 in total expenditures for 2013 with revenues of $846,035.

The difference will be covered by withdrawals from the fund balance, which is budgeted to drop from $653,342 at the end of 2012 to $558,895 at the end of 2013.

Klein noted that the town received a one-time payment of $143,000 from an insurance settlement for costs associated with the abandoned landfill.

That money is being transferred from the fund balance to the 2013 budget to pay for a new shed to be used to store the town’s road equipment, in addition to making improvements at six boat landings.

Electors approved spending up to $55,000 to build the shed.

Electors also approved a tax levy of $558,864 in 2013, up by nearly 0.6 percent over the $555,592 levy in 2012.

Comparison of town wages

Dayton* Dayton** Farmington Mukwa

Chair $7,000 $10,000 $11,500 $10,000

Super. $3,500 $5,000 $4,100 $5,000

Clerk $20,000 $21,000 $44,000 $21,000

Treas. $8,000 $ 10,000 n/a $$10,000

Pop. 2,748 3,988 2,937

* Prior to Nov. 20 meeting ** After Nov. 20 meeting

Farmington Clerk/Treas. position combined

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