I understand that one of the "crack" reporters for the Peoria Heights Examiner (or something sort of like it) has been gathering information about the pay increases that the department heads received over the past 4 years, ready to spring a huge "exclusive" about it.
Well, sorry, "crack" reporter... it's already been in the paper (Journal Star and the Observer) about 20 times over the past 3 to 4 years. In fact, I referenced it in this blog, too. I'm going to throw it out there again, even though the gist of it has to do with one of the somewhat questionable articles in the collector's edition of the Examiner. Here it is :
"Bear in mind, what I am writing in response to each of these allegations is an absolute FACT; and can be verified by simply going by Village Hall and getting the information; or contact me and I will forward the info to you from the minutes; or any other verification to show that it is a FACT.
Even though these responses might be almost two years late, I hope that they will show how the Peoples Party periodicals were not only filled with "half-truths, innuendos, and outright lies" in 2007, but will more than likely be even more chock full of the same in 2009.
POLITICAL FICTION#1- The Peoria Heights Examiner (Peoples Party "newspaper") stated that shortly after I took office, certain department heads received "40% raises."
FACT: The department heads would have loved this one to be true. In actuality, the Police Chief and the Village Administrator received 10% raises. That's a bit lower than the 40% raises that the Examiner threw out there. Now, if the Examiner had stated that the department heads had received 40% raises over a THREE year period, it would have been closer to the truth. But, it did not state that.
And, the third year of that three year period had not even occurred yet. What did happen was that the department heads received 10% per year, over a three year period.Why? Because all of the statistics showed that the Peoria Heights department heads were not only near the bottom of salaries for the size of our community in Illinois, they were virtually AT the bottom.
Unacceptable. We'll go one step further however. Even if the Examiner had done it over a three year period, the raises would have been 33% OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD. STILL NOT 40%. Even with these raises, our department heads are in the bottom third of salaries for similar sized communities in Illinois. But, at least we're doing better there.
Someone at the Examiner needs a new calculator... AND a conscience."
* One more interesting fact: In fiscal year 2004-2005 (under Mr. Carter's leadership), the Board of Trustees approved salary increases for the Peoria Heights Police Officers that came out to be about a 30% increase. In one year. Why? Simple. Their research found that the officers were underpaid. So, the record increase was approved. Yet, somehow when a pay increase which is anything over the "norm" happens under my watch, it's a problem. Our research found that our department heads were very much underpaid. So, we changed that.
Each pay increase for all of the department heads was approved by the Board of Trustees, with 6-0 votes. The only 5-1 vote was the initial one regarding the original contract for Police Chief Dustin Sutton. Bear in mind, during each of these votes, there were THREE members of the Peoples Party on the Board.
Raising the pay for the police officers in 2004-2005 was the right thing to do. So was the raising of the pay for the department heads from 2005-2007.
Compare the actual facts to the likely "crack" Examiner reporting coming out soon. If it comes out as I expect it will, the motto of "Forget the facts, full speed ahead" will continue to be fully operational for the Peoples Party hierarchy.
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