It never ceases to amaze me.
In this economy where homeowners are struggling to pay their bills (tax bills included), the West Hartford Town Council finds even more ways to spend their money.
The Town Clerk, Democrat Essie Labrot, is crying poverty while making a comfortable $69,000 annually for a job she only has to be at 4 days a week! She has elected to the position in 2008 and her term expires in January 2012. She is up for re-election in November.
While on company time (so to speak) she has researched "what other Town Clerk's are getting paid" and is now seeking a $10,000 raise via Town Council approval. Mind you she would only get this raise if she is re-elected in November.
The Mayor, Scott Slifka, along with his tax and spend cohorts on the Council, are more than happy to give the Town Clerk more money. To hell with trying to pare down municipal spending! They are too busy trying to keep up with the Joneses in Greenwich and Simsbury. This reeks of the childish whine, "Jimmy has a bigger bike than me - I want a new bike".
For instance, the clerk in Greenwich, which has a few hundred more residents than West Hartford, made $87,230 in fiscal year 2010. The clerk in Manchester, a town with a population about 4,400 less than West Hartford, made $87,356, and the town clerk in Simsbury, a much smaller town, made $85,000. - Hartford CourantAnd of course president of the Connecticut Town Clerks Association, Glastonbury Town Clerk Joyce Mascena, chimed in "That makes sense to me. It looks like she's done her homework." Like anyone cares what her opinion is regarding how West Hartford compensates their public servants. Unbiased she is not.
What is even more hilarious is that Mayor Slifka claims this increase to be important because the town clerk functions like a "department director", but alas poor Essie is getting paid less than other directors (Pass the Kleenex). Oh, the inequity! The salary range in West Hartford for nonunion directors starts at $77,235. The maximum salary is $139,000. Well, for heavens sake, why don't they just give Essie Labrot $139,000 for handing out dog licenses and marriage licenses (four days a week) and be done with it? Why don't they give her vouchers for free manicures too, since she is obviously working her little fingers to the bone. Give the whole damn staff a raise while you are at it, because they are probably doing most of her work anyway.
Mayor Slifka also claimed that Essie has done a wonderful job of reducing the Town Clerk's budget (10 percent in fiscal year 2010, and 7.4 percent in fiscal year 2011 and 2012's budget will be reduced by another 5.7 percent) and that she's increased revenue. She did this all while walking on water, mind you.
First of all, there is no magic in reducing an already bloated budget. There are lots of savings to be found in every department in Town Hall if one follows smart business practices and fully uses technology. And only operating four days a week cut that budget down as well. Running these Town departments isn't rocket science. Second of all if there were increased revenues it's only because town fees were raised by the Town Council. It's not like the Town Clerk is actively hooking people to come and register legal documents, or forcing them to get married.
The justification for a 14.5% raise is just as ludicrous as the $79,000 salary they are dishing out for a 4 day a week Town Clerk position, courtesy of the taxpayer.
One wishes to remind the Town Council (who by the way are up for re-election this November) "It's Not Your Money!"
14.5% raise?
November can't come soon enough.
