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Council Minutes 11/6/2002
<br />streets, clear snow from the roads, pick up tree limbs and brush from yards, collect
<br />animals and loose animals, answer the phones and do the paperwork at City Hall and
<br />keep homes safe by having building inspectors come out. They will continue to help
<br />serve this community, and hope that Mayor realizes the benefits of their union. The
<br />Mayor has shown recently that he is loyal to those who are loyal to him, namely,
<br />some recent hirings. Please remember that all employees of North Olmsted,
<br />AFSCME, Police, Fire, bus have been loyal to him and his administration as well as
<br />to the Boyle administration, some back to Petrigac, some back to Swietyniowski, and
<br />some back to Christman. Please treat their loyahy the same as he has treated others.
<br />The AFSCME members realize that our city is in a financial problem, and they are
<br />willing to help. Please remember, if the adrninistration is not part of the solution,
<br />they will be part of the problem. He thanked Council for affording the unions the
<br />opportunity to speak tonight. The Mayor asked Mr. Herbster if he detected an
<br />underlying tone that he is in favor, if cuts are made, that it will be applied across the
<br />board and not limited just to the Service Department. Mr. Herbster said he had not
<br />heard anything about any possibility of anybody giving anything back other than what
<br />was asked of the unions. People have been hired at the top of the scale with little or
<br />no experience while others, as revealed this evening, were hired on an interim basis,
<br />given a lower wage and then promised a higher amount if a probationary period was
<br />completed. He was before this Council a few moirths ago and didn't question whether
<br />we needed to have certain positions. But he did question whether money should be
<br />spent like it's being spent or was proposed to be spent at the time given the financial
<br />situation that we are in. Why should the unions only take cuts? The Mayor said he
<br />agreed. Mr. Herbster said leadership starts at the top and works down. The Mayor
<br />asked, if cuts have to be made, was he advocating that the cuts be made across the
<br />board, that everyone share in the cuts? Mr. Herbster said yes. Law Director
<br />Dubelko said, when the directors discussed the budget cuts in Iuly, it was their
<br />position at that time that, if the unions were willing to open up their contracts and
<br />take a cut, they would take a comparable percentage cut. For those who are elected,
<br />their salaries can't becut- but they certainly could donate that portion back. He
<br />would say on the record that, if all the unions are willing to open up their contracts
<br />and take a percentage cut, he certainly would donate that portion of his salary back to
<br />the city. Mrs. Kasler said, for the record, it should be understood who determines the
<br />salary of appointed directors when they're hired. The Mayor answered that the
<br />Mayor does. Mrs. Kasler noted that the Mayor then does have control over the
<br />appointed administrators. The Mayor asked if she meant he could reduce the salary
<br />of a director. Mrs. Kasler said yes. He had told Mr. Herbster that he had no control
<br />over salaries of other people, and it would have to be their decision. The appointed
<br />directors' salaries are determined by him. The Mayor said he thought, to a certain
<br />extent, they are also determined by Council. Council establishes a range and, if the
<br />money is appropriated for that range, that the Mayor can then appoint the director at x
<br />number of dollars salary. Mrs. Kasler said she wanted to make it very clear that she
<br />had absolutely no input, nor did anyone on this Council, as to the exact salary that
<br />was awarded to newly appointed directors. The Mayor said, "of course." Mrs. Kasler
<br />said that was the Mayor's decision, and he has control over the salaries of appointed
<br />`;,, directors. What he told Mr. Herbster, that he had no control, that's incorrect as to
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