I can’t believe I never ran across this one before. I’ve been doing research on City Manager Finley deGraffenried’s career as a little going-away present. I came across “LlanoWatch” and whoever writes that blog had some valid complaints as well!
Here is a copy of one page:
Did you know that Llano City Manager Finley DeGraffenried will receive a 15% merit raise?
The 2012 budget had a 3% raise for Llano City Manager Finley Degraffenried but, in a quickly called appraisal meeting a month after the budget passed, Finley claimed he was not paid as well as others in the area
Despite several Council memberspresenting performance issues with Finley, Mayor Reagor pushed through a merit increase of 12%. Now 8 months later, the budget has another 3% merit raisetotaling 15% in one year. Will there be another October appraisal surprise? Besides, is Finley’s$87,550really commensurate with similar size Texas cities with city managers without a college degree (see below)?
The pertinent issue is whether he deserves a 15% MERIT increase. He started at a certain salary that was presumably appropriate for the position and his experience. That was the time to negotiate based on commensurate with others. From that point on, it would be his merit that spurred increases. Did he do anything beyond expectations? For example, did he fix the pool, fix the streets, fix the water supply, fix the golf course, not lose money on anything, fix the city website… Future posts will demonstrate the contrary. So any merit raise, particularly 15%, is undeserved.
San Saba city manager: population 3099 salary $76,095 degree yes.
Coleman city manager: population 5127 salary $60,008 degree yes.
Mason city manager: population 2134 salary $60,700 degree yes.
Smithville city manager: population 3817 salary $72,477 degree yes.
Haskell city manager: population 3322 salary $73,000 degree yes.
Clifton city manager: population 3442 salary $61,402 degree yes.
Clarksville city manager: population 3285 salary $45,000 degree no.
Olney city manager: population 3285 salary $59,760 degree no, some college, 10 years as City Manager.
Wow. Sounds a LOT like what just happened with our Assistant TO the City Manager Ryan “Forrest Gump” Ward! He was hired on at a certain (extremely high) salary – but then within 6 months was handed a 3% “cost of living” raise and then in October ANOTHER 3%.
You see how this all works? Finley complains he is not paid as much as those in the “surrounding area” – something Ryan Gump Ward ALSO did IMMEDIATELY after being hired here.
What happens next? Well the poor schlubs managing those OTHER cities see that Finley is getting almost $90,000 while THEY are only getting $60,000 or $70,000. So THEY go to THEIR City councils and say “hey, I’m not paid as well as ‘others in the surrounding area'” and then THEIR salaries ratchet up as well!
This goes on and on and back and forth and pretty soon you have the the City manager (and police chief, and the school Superintendent, etc) making a ridiculous six-figure salary (WITH BENNIES!!) in a small town where the average chump of a taxpayer who pays for all this stupidity makes about 1/3 of that.