Proposed Salary Raise To Be Decided by Township Voters
Newton Township
By Ryan Schlehuber

Newton Township's annual meeting to set salaries, meeting times, and town hall policies will be at 9 a.m. at the township hall Saturday, June 30. Abudget hearing will be held and a proposal for a 3% salary raise for township officials will be discussed and voted on by residents attending.

All residents of Newton Township are eligible to vote at annual meetings, according to the Michigan Townships Association, however, residents can only vote on two issues - altering salaries as established in a prior township board resolution, and increasing the number of trustees to be elected.

The board proposed raises for its supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and two trustees at its May 9 meeting, meeting the required 30-day notice period before the annual meeting. If approved by voters Saturday, Supervisor Bob Brotherton's pay will be increased from $6,719 to $6,923, Clerk Alice Zdebski's salary will go from $8,254 to $8,769, Treasurer Marilyn Strickland's salary will be increased from $6,399 to $6,810, and Trustees Rick Frisch and Frank Kuehnl will receive raises, from $96 per meeting to $100 per meeting. In addition, the board is recommending that Mrs. Strickland's Summer Education Tax wage be increased from $1,841 to $1,902.

The treasurer receives an additional wage for collecting a summer education tax for the months of July, August, and September. With this wage, the treasurer now receives a combined $8,240. With the raise, Mrs. Strickland would receive $8,712.

Part of the raise for Clerk Zdebski includes a wage for operating the school election, which she has done voluntarily for the past three years, owing to the township's tight budget.

If the proposed raises are approved, Mrs. Zdebski would receive an hourly wage of $6.95 while operating the school election.

She told the board May 9 that it usually takes 35 hours to operate the election, which would amount to $243 in wages to Mrs. Zdebski.

Election inspector wages are proposed to increase along with the state's minimum wage. Inspectors have received a minimum wage of $6.95 since the state's minimum wage was raised last October. It is expected to be raised to $7.15 in July and $7.40 later this year.

Newton Township's proposed budget for next year includes revenues of $371,159.05 and expenses of $371,104. This year, the township collected $303,099.58 and spent $146,388.45.

Clerk Zdebski said she constructed next year's budget to plan for worst-case scenarios, owing to the township's tight budgeting the past few years, which is why next year's expected expenses are higher than this year's.

"I don't expect us to spend all that money," she said, "but if it's not in the budget, we can't use it."

Next year's proposed budget includes $71,981 in the contingency fund, or "extra money," as Mrs. Zdebski refers to it, and $154,000 in capital outlay, which includes two road millages.

Expenses next year for the township may include purchasing a new fire truck for the fire department, paving South Gould City Road and Hiawatha Trail, both state roads for which the township could receive a match grant, and reroofing the township hall, which is leaking.

The fire department is hoping to secure a grant that would fund at least half the cost for a new or used truck.

Last year, Newton Township passed a four-year, one-mill tax levy for road maintenance and improvements and a four-year, onemill tax levy for fire and ambulance operations. Each is expected to generate $38,209.

Mrs. Zdebski said some projects may be put on hold until more funding is raised, such as road paving.