Your voice: Does an elected official have the moral authority to write his own paycheck?

Unfortunately, as a Budget Committee member, I think we as a committee have dropped the ball in not addressing this issue head on, NOT as a policy or legal issue, but as a BUDGETARY concern. At the very least, I know I have.

In the summary of the "Coffee With A Selectman" I posted on Facebook yesterday, I mentioned there was lengthy conversation "concerning the organizational structure of the town administration as it relates to the Department Heads; [specifically the] pros and cons of "Elected" vs "Appointed" as it pertains to 1. chain of command and management, 2. pay structures and the methods of authorizing wage and benefits changes (increases). and 3.rights and limitations of both the position holder and the taxpayer authorized under either scheme."

The individual bringing up the issue made a compelling argument for restructuring the towns organizational chart so as to include the two town Departments currently managed by ELECTED managers to be altered so they become headed by APPOINTED managers, and not the least of which, concerned issues of accountability to the "governing body" (ie, the Board of Selectmen) who would have direct oversight and are in turn are accountable to the "legislative body"....the voters. As it was explained, an ELECTED Department Manager could hypothetically defy the wishes of the "governing body" and the only recourse the "governing body" would have is to withhold the physical assets used by the Department, and if necessary, sue the Department Manager in Superior Court for a very limited set of reasons. In other words, the "governing body" is essentially powerless as the Department Manager is answerable only to the voters.

Since that meeting I have had several online conversations to help sort out the various pros and cons involved with both "Appointed" and "Elected" Manager scenarios on matters of Legality/Policy, Morals/Ethics, and Budgetary/Fiscal perspectives. Ill be honest, the Legal aspect is way beyond my paygrade as the statutes have a complex trail of "If/Then" statements that leave me stranded soon after merely reading the Title of any one of the countless individual statutes that may or may not address this concern, so I will leave that to the "professionals", lol. Nonetheless, I believe this is an important issue for all residents to try to wrap their heads around, because it DOES affect the bottom line.

The "bottom line" is easy to understand.

The Public Works Director is an ELECTED position and not an "at will" appointed employee of the Town, and as the Director he has asked voters to approve a Step Pay Plan to better compensate Public Works employees.

I doubt there is much argument that the Public Works Employees deserve a better wage than they currently receive, but should the Public Works Director request a $4000 annual pay raise for himself as part of that Step Pay Plan?

Regardless of whether you believe the Director should receive a pay raise or not, is this a morally proper method for receiving one?

If you DONT believe the Director deserves one or DONT think its proper, then do you forego the Step Pay Plan and deny the employees, or do you provide the employees the Pay increase and bite the bullet and grudgingly allow the Director to write his own paycheck?

We need a discussion, folks, because if something is allowed simply for the sake of convenience, then it will continue...unchecked.

- Dennis Wing,

Milton NH