2023-08-04 Salary Commission Minutes

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Salary Commission August 4, 2023 MS. GREENBAUM: I think that's not our job. That's not our respons that is something that we have to remove ourselves from. MR. NELSON: But I think Mr. Farahi is just saying we can recommend it to the council. The council can reject it. MS. GREENBAUM: Oh, gotcha. MR. NELSON: But I do believe yes, that should—there should be performance -base in every job. It should be recommended. Now, we can't do it. We just tell them, "Here's the salary adjustment. And, oh, by the way, going forward, you guys should change the charter to do that." I believe we would be allowed to do that, we just can't make a dollar merit adjustment. MS. FRENZ: This is Deputy Corporation Counsel Cody Frenz. Might I suggest, if you guys are considering doing that, that you completely separate and parse that out from the task before you. I don't want anyone claiming you stepped outside of your powers and authority, under the charter, and try to set aside any action that you may take by filing in circuit court. It's you are free to have a conversation, Vice -Chair Farahi, with the mayor, with the department of human resources, with your elected officials—separate and apart from that, you want to do a separate recommendation. I just don't want' any cloud on any action, if any, that this Commission shall take by going outside of its purview. I just I got to be the stickler to keep those separate and apart. I'm sorry. Vice -Chair Farahi, commissioner—Police Commissioner Bertsch still has hand up. Is this commission going to allow him to further address this body. Is that okay? ACTING CHR FARAHL Sure. MR. BERTSCH: Thank you. Thank you so much. One of the comments that was made very early on was that we need to think of the political ramifications of the salary increases. And I just would like to offer this to the Commission the basic tenant of the charter in establishing the Salary Commission is actually to take politics out of it. You guys are the experts that have been appointed by the mayor and confirmed by county council to provide an expertise and make recommendations with regards to salary increases. Whether they're perceived as favorable or unfavorable, depending on whether you're paying or receiving the bottom line is that we—and we're of the same commission on the police side. We absolutely have to take political influences out of our decision-making process, which is why we are a citizens board that's appointed. And that's what I want to convey with you guys because we are often tasked with making the hard decisions, and making those decisions that we can stand by and be firm about them, and Page 25