By Kristine Thomas
When Mt. Angel resident Marla Boen read a newspaper article in February that former Mt. Angel City Administrator Jim Hunt’s salary had increased from $68,278 to $74,487, she had to know why.
On Feb. 5, she submitted a public records request form to the city of Mt. Angel asking for copies of Hunt’s “Personnel Action Status” forms.
“What I do know and do not understand is why Mr. Hunt received a salary increase of $221.88 a month in July and in November received another increase of $295.58 a month – a total of $517.46,” Boen wrote in a “Letter to the Editor” published in the April, 2009 issue of Our Town (click here to read the letter).
Boen cited the Mt. Angel’s city charter, which states, “Salaries. The compensation for the services for each City officer and employee shall be the amount fixed by the Council.”
What Boen questions is “how could Mr. Hunt get a raise and the council not vote on it?”
The salary increase Hunt received in July was a cost of living adjustment or a COLA, according to the personnel action form.
On June 2, the Mt. Angel City Council voted 5-0 on a COLA of 3.9 percent for all city employees beginning July 1. Hunt’s salary went from $5,689 a month to $5,911.
Hunt received a second salary increase on Dec. 9, according to the Personnel Action Status Form because his contract was extended. His salary went from $5,911 to $6,207 a month. Both Bauman and Hunt signed the personnel action status form on Dec. 9 with the effective date of action as Nov. 5.
Interim City Administrator Pete Wall provided a copy of Resolution 1264 that the city council approved on June 2.
In Section 3 of the resolution, there is a table reflecting the wage scale for all employees – including the city administrator, finance director and police chief – not covered by either collective bargaining agreements effective July 1, 2008.
“The city administrator position in Mt. Angel is on a salary plan,” Wall said, adding there are 10 steps in the plan. Hunt’s salary of $6,207 was Step 7 on the scale.
The second salary increase possibly could reflect the city council’s approval of Hunt’s contract last fall, he said.
The city council voted 4-3 to approve a three-year contract with two months severance pay for Hunt in October.
Neither Hunt nor former Mayor Tom Bauman would comment for the record regarding Boen’s letter or why Hunt received the second salary increase.
Mayor Rick Schiedler also had no comment regarding Boen’s letter.
“In regards to the pay raise for Jim Hunt, the current and former city councilors were not informed of Jim Hunt’s pay increase in November 2008,” Schiedler said.
Boen wrote the letter because she’s disappointed in what some people are saying about the city council terminating Hunt. “The campaign to discredit our elected officials has gone on long enough,” she wrote. “It is time for it to end.”
She encouraged the citizens of Mt. Angel “not to spread hurtful gossip and rumors. Go to the source and ask for the truth” regarding the termination of Hunt, who the city council voted to fire in March, after he was placed on administrative leave in February.
“I have no doubt there is much more information regarding Mr. Hunt’s termination,” Boen wrote. “If it cannot be discussed for legal or personal reasons, accept it and move on.”
