TRAVERSE CITY — A proposal to give the new Grand Traverse County administrator a three-year contract starting at $120,000 a year will run into some stiff opposition.
The county board will discuss the contract when it meets today at 7 p.m. in the Governmental Center. The two board members who voted against offering the job to David Benda, former Midland County administrator, reacted quickly to the recommendation released late Tuesday afternoon.
Commissioner Jason Gillman called the recommendation a "new standard for throwing away money.
"If he wishes to work here, he can expect to start at a starting salary and benefits that is commensurate with his experience here," wrote Gillman in an email to the board.
Gillman called for a salary of $100,000 and a one-year contract.
Jennifer Seman, the county human resources director who made the recommendation, cited Benda's 26 years of county government experience and a comparison to other county administrator contracts in Michigan. Her recommendation would start Benda off in the middle of the Grand Traverse County's existing wage scale for the job.
Commissioner Christine Maxbauer said she agreed with Gillman.
"Why we would give an unproven individual who did not have a great deal of board support a three-year contract is beyond me," Maxbauer said.
Region
$120K salary already has opposition
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Grand Traverse student heads to national spelling bee
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Four pets safe in house fire
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Record numbers audition for 'Les Misérables'
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Two charged for making meth at local motel
Two people face criminal charges stemming from a meth lab discovered at Shadowland Motel.
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Annual Rhubarb Social in Bear Lake
Kick off summer vacation with an annual rhubarb social at the Bear Lake Christian Church.
Continued ... - Friday, May 24, 2013
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Snyder, Stabenow slated to speak at Helen Milliken service
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Memorial Day: Weather, gas prices and highway enforcement
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Traverse City schools officials prepare for bond
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Utility cuts trees beyond easements, property owners say
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Conservancy offers farmers a shorter-term option for land
For the last 30 summers, Dennis and Barb Dean traveled from their Alaska home to tend to their sweet and tart cherry orchards in Williamsburg.
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Elk Rapids now has authorized baccalaureate school
Elk Rapids Middle School is being recognized for adopting a world-renowned education style, and other local districts are prepared to follow suit, thanks in part to a $3 million Kellogg Foundation grant.
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BATA bus struck during three-vehicle accident
A Bay Area Transportation Agency bus was damaged in a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Three Mile and Hammond Road.
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Benzie County home destroyed in fire
Benzonia Township Fire Department Chief John Hanmer said units responded to the fire on Thursday at about 11 a.m. He said no one was inside the Cook Road home and the occupants were at work.
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Eligibility issues cut short TC St. Francis baseball season
St. Francis High School’s baseball team’s season prematurely ended.
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Memorial Day-related services in Traverse City region
Memorial Day-related services in Traverse City region:
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Accused stalker faces more charges
A Grawn man who already is facing stalking charges is accused of breaking into the home of the female victim and attempting to take her dog.
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Victory for medical marijuana patients
Medical marijuana patients and advocates scored a victory after the state’s top court issued a decision on a long-running Grand Traverse County case.
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Parking lot argument chills Bardon's
Robin Bisel and Jean Cline licked ice cream cones at Bardon’s Wonder Freeze off Front Street and wondered how they’d maneuver through traffic when finished with their treats.
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Presidential Scholar has struggled with illness
Nicole “Niki” Tubacki doesn't remember much about her early childhood except for swinging outside in the sun.
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Man said to trade drugs for sex
A man arrested in Leelanau County for violating probation is accused of trading drugs for sexual favors with young women in Missaukee County.
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Car crashes into rocks near house
A Glen Arbor woman told deputies she fell asleep before she ran a stop sign and crashed her vehicle into a row of boulders near an Empire Township home.
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Local educators honored
The Outstanding Educator Award, sponsored by the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District, the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce and TBA Credit Union, is given annually to a handful of public, private and parochial educators in the Grand Traverse region.
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Man enters guilty plea in assault
A man accused of beating his live-in girlfriend in East Bay Township pleaded guilty to assault charges.
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