Grosse Ile board approves 2.5% market adjustment for nonunion staff, splits two manager raises and sets placeholders for fire hires
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Summary
The Grosse Ile Township Board on March 12 approved a 2.5% market adjustment for full‑time nonunion employees and agreed to two $5,000 manager pay adjustments while setting placeholders for forthcoming fire‑department hires, the board said at a special meeting called to resolve several contested budget items.
GROSSE ILE, Mich. — The Grosse Ile Township Board on March 12 voted to include a 2.5% market adjustment for full‑time nonunion employees in the proposed fiscal budget, approved two $5,000 salary adjustments for department managers, and set budgetary placeholders for fire department administration as the township continues work on longer‑term pay scales and pension obligations.
The board approved the 2.5% nonunion “market adjustment” after discussion of pension costs and capital needs. Theresa McLaughlin, the township finance director, told trustees the 2.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment was already in the proposed budget; she said there are 14 full‑time nonunion positions covered by that line. Trustee Bill expressed concern that legacy costs — including major capital projects such as bridge and water work — and rising pension contributions made committing to raises now risky. One trustee voted no; the motion otherwise passed.
The board also considered a proposed $10,000 increase for the downtown development authority (DDA) manager who also covers community development work. Trustees amended the request during discussion and instead approved a split package: a $5,000 total increase (inclusive of the 2.5% base) for the DDA/community development director and a $5,000 total increase (inclusive of the 2.5% base) for the airport manager. The amendment was adopted on a roll call with five trustees voting yes and two opposed.
On the fire department, township staff and trustees agreed to maintain a salary range for the incoming fire chief position (advertised at $70,000–$82,000) and to keep additional budgetary placeholders in the fire salary line so the department can make an offer and, if necessary, backfill the fire marshal position. Staff said the higher placeholder dollars would be used only if the board later approved a specific offer; the board voted to include those line‑item allocations in the proposed budget.
Police department administration also drew extensive debate. Board materials showed the proposed budgeted increases for four command positions and a confidential secretary would total roughly $41,008 and carry an estimated township cost of about $51,000. Trustees disputed whether the public safety pay action should precede a fuller review of department staffing needs; several trustees said they want a study of staffing and legacy costs before committing more than the baseline 2.5% already in the budget. After amendments the board separately approved a $5,000 total increase for the police department confidential secretary (inclusive of the 2.5% baseline) and the larger package was reflected in the board’s final budget package for consideration at the March public meeting.
Trustees said they expect to return after the budget is adopted to develop a multi‑year salary administration plan for nonunion personnel so pay ranges, step progressions and external comparables are clearer. Finance director Theresa McLaughlin told the board that, without additional revenue or expenditure reductions, approving pay increases larger than budgeted would require later adjustments elsewhere and could push the general fund out of balance if one‑time revenue sources (such as a planned property sale) are not realized.
The board’s summary at the meeting’s close listed the specific items to be included in the version of the proposed budget the board will vote on at the March public meeting: the 2.5% nonunion market adjustment (for 14 full‑time nonunion positions), $5,000 total adjustments (inclusive of 2.5%) for the DDA/community development director and the airport manager, a $5,000 total increase for the police confidential secretary, and continued budget placeholders for fire chief and fire marshal salary lines. The board also discussed how Island Fest overtime reimbursements have been handled in the past and the interaction of event sponsorships with department budgets.
The board scheduled further study and staff follow‑up. Trustees asked the township manager and finance director to prepare a clearer multi‑year compensation plan, to show the precise budget impacts of the approved changes in the final proposal to be voted on at the next public meeting, and to return with comparisons and options for step or grade pay structures.
The motion outcomes will be reflected in the version of the proposed budget the board will consider for final adoption at the township’s next public meeting.
