A Good Question and Some Things we Need to Know

If someone offered you $1, would you spend $2 to get it?

An age old questions asked in many forms is why a politician is willing to spend so much money campaigning to get a job that only pays a fraction. Case in point.
Matt Dolan (R, Russel Township) is said to be interested in spending $1 million of his own money to be the Cuyahoga County Executive according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer and The News-Herald. Dolan is a State Representative that comes from a family of well known businessmen. However, if Dolan spends $1 million of his own money to make $175, 000 does this sound like good business?
Several public officials told David Glaser in a News-Herald article that it ain't about the money!
The print version of Glaser's article does a much much better job detailing how much your local elected officials on city councils and boards of trustees are making. However, the comments section of the on-line article is more entertaining and honest. The comment section correctly asks the same question raised above.
So why would someone spend $12, 000 on a Mentor City Council Race to make $12, 000 a year? Sure you are making a little bit on this one.
One reason could be the vested time that a council member makes in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and the fact that for a few thousand dollars you can by vested time! What a great deal! This is a fact the News-Herald article does not consider.
A source has told us that they recently purchased three years of time in PERS for around $4, 000! Great Deal. Our source is a council member in one of the six cities listed below; one of the smaller ones.

Trustees:

1. Concord Township $20, 5684/yr; 4 year term; pop. 16, 405

2. Painseville $20, 568/yr; 4 year term; pop. 19, 101

3. Perry $19,000/yr; 4 year term; pop. 9, 152

4. Madison $15, 998/yr; 4 year term; pop. 19, 972

5. Leroy $11, 000/yr; 4 year term; pop. 3,883

Council Member:

1. Mentor $12, 000/yr; 4 year term; pop. 51, 825

2. Willoughby $8, 000/yr; 2 year term; pop. 22, 561

3. Willowick $8, 000/yr; 4 year term; pop. 13, 727

4. Eastlake $7, 600/yr; 4 year term; pop. 19, 520

5. Wickliffe $7, 600/ yr; 4 year term; pop. 12, 983

6. Mentor-on-the Lake $6, 050/yr; 4 year term; pop 8, 288

7. Painseville $6, 000/y;r 4 year term; pop. 1, 282

Here is a good example. Wickliffe Councilman Bill Margallis is leading the Mayor's
race. Wait a minute! Bill Margalis is also a County Administrator! That's right! Councilman
Margalisis full time county employee earning vested PERS retirement time, earning time as a
council member, and will now switch hats to become a suburban Mayor! What a great set-up!
He will be earning a handsome salary from the County, benefits, time toward a PERS
pension...and, will supplement that with income from being a Mayor.


Sign me up!


Government is the only section of the workforce that never seems to take a hit, or go long
without a pay raise. A News-Herald article describing the candidate's for Willoughby's Ward 1
race before the election reveals that Willoughby Mayor Dave Anderson will be getting a nearly
7% raise in January 2011. Anderson's $60, 755 salary will increase to $65, 275. Mayor Anderson
is also Willoughby's Safety Director, which pays $35, 017. So, Mayor Anderson's total monetary
compensation will rise from $95, 772 to $100, 292! Zoinks!