Pay increased for Monroe road panel

12/18/2002

MONROE - Monroe County's three road commissioners last night received a 14.6 percent pay increase from the county commissioners, considerably less than the 43.2 percent increase they requested.

Road Commission Chairman Tony Majauskas and members Richard Turner and Robert “Mickey” Duffey had argued that their salaries should be adjusted closer to the mid-point of 12 similarly sized counties across Michigan where appointed road commissioners had similar responsibilities. In doing so, they had asked that their respective rates of pay be increased from $8,725 a year to $12,500 a year.

But several commissioners balked at the increase, arguing that state and local budgets are stretched too tight to allow such a large increase, even if they were warranted. Instead, commissioners offered a compromise pay rate of $10,000 per member, plus a $500 annual stipend for the road commission chairman, and promised to revisit the pay issue again at the end of 2003.

Later in the meeting, amid several other appointments to county boards and commissions, the commissioners reappointed Mr. Turner to another six-year term on the three-member road commission.