Milwaukee County Board abolishes pay ranges created by County Executive Chris Abele for department heads
Don Behm
The Milwaukee County Board on Thursday abolished all pay ranges created by County Executive Chris Abele since 2014 without the board's approval.
The board's action will cut thousands of dollars this year from annual salaries of several top department heads and administrators who were given raises by Abele that exceeded maximum limits of earlier board-approved pay ranges.
On a 16-1 vote, supervisors Thursday re-established their authority to set pay ranges for all executive appointees and 300 other employees not covered by civil service rules. The resolution requires the Department of Human Resources to return those employees to the board's previously authorized pay ranges.
"People are not entitled to improper pay," Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb Sr. said Thursday.
Supervisor Deanna Alexander cast the lone vote in opposition.
Abele responded to the vote by saying he would go to court to ask a Milwaukee County circuit judge to block implementation of the board's resolution "and prevent imminent harm to county employees."
"My top concern is that the county has a fair compensation system that allows us to attract and retain top talent," Abele said in a statement. The board's resolution could result in "a mass exodus of talent" from county departments, he said.
At a committee of the whole meeting earlier Thursday, Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic said raises granted by Abele over the board's objection were illegal. She urged the board to seek repayment of several thousands of dollars from a handful of top administrators and redistribute the funds to county parks.
She pointed to the pay of Health and Human Services Director Héctor Colón as an example of the amount of funds that could be recovered. Colón is paid a salary of $179,401 under an Abele pay range. That is $54,518 more than the maximum allowed under the board-approved pay grade and range for that job.
Although collection of such overpayments is authorized under county ordinances, the resolution approved Thursday by the board would not seek to claw back any of the excess pay already received by the employees.
The board took the action in response to an April court ruling that supported the board's role in setting pay ranges for the non-civil service, or unclassified, employees.
Judge John DiMotto ruled at that time that the board did not lose its authority to set pay ranges for more than 300 employees not covered by civil service rules when a 2013 change in state law, known as Act. 14, was enacted.
On Thursday, Abele said he would appeal DiMotto's decision.
Abele has taken the position since 2014 that the board no longer has the power to set pay ranges for those workers and he granted raises over the objection of the board.
Even low-level unclassified employees hired since 2014 could face pay cuts if their salaries exceed maximum rates in board-approved ranges for their jobs, officials said Thursday.
RELATED:County Board attorney's summary of April court ruling
ARCHIVE:Milwaukee County Board plans to rescind raises Chris Abele gave to top administrators
Also Thursday, the board approved construction this summer of rain gardens and other stormwater controls at the Wells St. entrance to the Milwaukee Public Museum.
Native flowers, grasses and sedges will be planted in the gardens along meandering paths made of porous pavement, under plans presented to the board. Cisterns beneath the porous pavement will collect and store up to 32,000 gallons of water in a heavy rain storm.
The project will provide the dual benefits of storing water to be sprayed on the gardens and preventing the water from entering a combined sanitary and storm sewer that serves the museum, officials said.
A total of $161,870 in grants from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and the Fund for Lake Michigan will pay the full cost of building the stormwater controls.
ARCHIVE:Milwaukee Public Museum to add outdoor butterfly exhibit, storm-water controls