Ken cockrel gives staff big raises

[Mista Alan]

Looks like Steve Wilson caught Council Prez/fmr. Mayor Ken Cockrel with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Apparently ken gave big raises [[as much as 40%) to his friends/staff once he became mayor [[nothing wrong there), but when he lost the mayor's race and everyone returned to their previous, old jobs? They kept their big raises! Until Stevie came-a-calling!

http://www.wxyz.com/news/story/WILSO...vMB0_qgrw.cspx

[2blocksaway]

More of the same just different people getting caught. There aren't enough Steve Wilsons to go around.

It seems like he and M.L. Elrich have done more work looking in to the citys problems than all of the federal investigators combined.

Cockrel should have his people give the money back tomorrow. Period.

[Buy American]

There are no moral, honest, ethical, virtuous, honorable, trustworthy, respectable, creditable, or
people with any integrity running the City of Detroit. Ken Cockrel, you should be ashamed of yourself.

[eno]

That should cost him the Council Presidency if the voters respond correctly to his own leadership shortcoming.

With Charles Pugh demonstrating that he's unable to manage his own finances, who do you think should get the most votes for the City Council?

[Buy American]

Charles Pugh will get the votes, the residents will give him what he wants. They only recognize his name and that's how he will win. God help Detroit.

[eno]

Here's the results of the primary election for City Council.

http://www.vote4detroit.com/voteresu...Council_1.html

[Mista Alan]

At least he was willing to sit down with Wilson and admit to it all. Kwame never did that.

[Buy American]

At least he was willing to sit down with Wilson and admit to it all. Kwame never did that.

He knows that he can't hide facts, so rather than push Wilson around like thug KK did, he's acting more civil. But the fact remains that he, like his predecessor, screwed the taxpayers.....I can't believe that Detroiters keep taking this crap day after day, month after month, year after year. When will it end?

[hybridy]

no one seems to be astounded at the continued lack of respect for the tax paying citizens of this city. i nominate the pope, the dalai lama, ghandi, and mlk jr to collectively share leadership.

[Hamtragedy]

no one seems to be astounded at the continued lack of respect for the tax paying citizens of this city. i nominate the pope, the dalai lama, ghandi, and mlk jr to collectively share leadership.

Instead we will get 20 more years of the incinerator, a nuclear power plant, Alonzo Bates' campaign manager, a TV news anchor, a former basketball player, former school board members, a Reverend who's not a reverend, and several slumlords who can't manage their own finances and/or pay their taxes.

At least we won't get a full time Vandella, a Monica Convict, and a former-congresswoman who was already fired once for discrimination who likes to play dress-up.....but I'm sure someone will do a fine job of filling those voids.

[Detroitej72]

Business as usual in the city.

[East Detroit]

Sure am glad the cozy suburbs aren't like that.

[Detroit Stylin]

Sure am glad the cozy suburbs aren't like that.

Yeah....the politicians out there simply falsify their resume's with degrees, positions, and responsibilities they have never earned or had in order to get certain offices.....

[Buy American]

I haven't heard of one suburban politician pillaging and raping their City to the tune of over 10 million dollars. Get real.

[bailey]

Yeah....the politicians out there simply falsify their resume's with degrees, positions, and responsibilities they have never earned or had in order to get certain offices.....

You cite outliers which generally result in some form of disgraced ouster from office. The corruption and ineptitude in Detroit of epic proportions [[relative to the nickel ante suburban sort) rates barely a 24hr news cycle as the "next" event will likely supersede it in both scope and dollars wasted, funneled to friends or outright stolen. Yet the same people, and staffers for those people, get elected, re-elected, and dig deeper in to the trough with little fear of ever facing any serious repercussions. One only needs to stay on the right side of the line drawn by Lonzo Bates, Mon Cona and KK.-- and that aint hard.

[jtf1972]

Cockrel's response:

Yesterday, my office and I were the subject of an “investigative” news story aired by WXYZ ABC-TV Channel 7. I place the term investigative in quotes because the story in my view can be best ch...aracterized not as a true news story, but rather a politically motivated slam piece.


The angle of the story is a claim that after returning to the Detroit City Council I allowed some members of my staff to continue making “inflated” salaries that were equal to what some of them earned during the time that they worked with me as Mayor.


Here are the facts regarding this matter:



1) It is true that some staffers did maintain salary levels equal to what they made during my time as Interim Mayor of the City of Detroit. However, in all cases this is because every single one of those staffers carried an increased workload above and beyond what they worked during my time on City Council prior to becoming Mayor. I do not have a Chief of Staff so some of those duties have been divided among some staff. It is also important to note that many of my staff are extremely well-educated, well-qualified, and highly credentialed. For example, my staff includes two attorneys, two individuals who hold Masters Degrees in Social Work and Public Administration respectively, and a PhD-level policy scholar.



2) In recognition of Detroit’s financial challenges, each of these staffers has since had their salary reduced by 10%. This is consistent with the goals of a resolution approved by City Council earlier this month which calls on City Council members and their staffs to take such a cut to help ease the budget deficit. In fact, I personally authored and sponsored this resolution. One could argue that these cuts should have been made earlier however Council’s goal was to enact these cuts simultaneous with an Executive Order and ordinance from Mayor Bing to reduce the salaries of all non-union personnel and his own staff. These documents were not presented to the Council for approval early September and Council couldn’t act until later this month after returning from its legislative recess. In the meantime, further review of budget and possible cuts to produce savings is also under review.


3) Contrary to the misleading slant of this story no existing rules, policies, or laws have been violated here. Council members are able to pay staff what they choose as long as they do not exceed their respective budgets or violate city policy or law.




4) The story fails to mention that for eight of the past nine fiscal years, I have routinely ended those years with a surplus and returned an average of 8.4 percent of my budget or roughly$67,000 to the City’s general fund. In Fiscal year 2007 for example, the amount returned was $117,000.





5) The story also fails to mention that when Monica Conyers resigned from City Council this summer, I sponsored and secured City Council approval of a resolution which transferred $277,825 left in her budget back to the City budget to finance police protection, demolition of vacant homes, and other pressing needs.



In short, my reputation and track record on City Council and as Mayor proves that I have been one of this City’s most stalwart financial stewards. For example, during my time as Mayor it was I who called for the implementation of a 10% cut in salaries to address the budget deficit and I led by example by taking a 20% cut in my own salary. I also ran one of the most modestly staffed Mayoral offices in recent history.
It is unfortunate, that for the sake of ratings and political slander Channel 7 has chosen to ignore these facts. However, I trust that the great and fair-minded people of the City of Detroit will see this story for what it is and draw the appropriate and right conclusion.


Detroit’s budget situation is too important to allow for the distractions of these silly games, all in the name of ratings

[jt1]

I wonder if some of the posters above will address Ken Cockrel's rebuttal. I'm guessing they won't.

What say you Buy American?

[cman710]

Cockrel's response seems fair. If his staff costs are within the same budget as those of any other City Council member, then I do not see any problem with what he did. I also agree with him that in order to get well-qualified staff personnel, you need to pay them decent salaries, since they have opportunities for much higher paying jobs in the private sector.

[Buy American]

"2) In recognition of Detroit’s financial challenges, each of these staffers has since had their salary reduced by 10%. This is consistent with the goals of a resolution approved by City Council earlier this month which calls on City Council members and their staffs to take such a cut to help ease the budget deficit. In fact, I personally authored and sponsored this resolution. One could argue that these cuts should have been made earlier however Council’s goal was to enact these cuts simultaneous with an Executive Order and ordinance from Mayor Bing to reduce the salaries of all non-union personnel and his own staff. These documents were not presented to the Council for approval early September and Council couldn’t act until later this month after returning from its legislative recess. In the meantime, further review of budget and possible cuts to produce savings is also under review."

Steve Wilson said that the majority of Cockerl's staff got a 40% raise. Did Cockrel take back the increase in salary, then implement the 10% reduction? OR, did Cockrel allow the staffers to keep the 40% increase, then cut their salaries by 10%, therefore leaving them with a 30% increase in salary?

"3) Contrary to the misleading slant of this story no existing rules, policies, or laws have been violated here. Council members are able to pay staff what they choose as long as they do not exceed their respective budgets or violate city policy or law. "

He is speaking of council members, NOT when he became mayor. That's when the raises were implemented.

I like Ken Cockrel, if I lived in Detroit I would have done my best to get him elected Mayor. I don't like underhanded tactics by anyone, including him....and I think what he did was underhanded.

I agree that you need well qualified personnel and to pay them decent salaries, but to give them a 40% raise was unnecessary. He knew what the situation with the budget was then and he knows what it is now. You can't give away money that's not there, plain and simple.

[cman710]

Has anyone claimed that the 40% raises were not lawful or proper? It would make sense that the mayor's staff would get paid more than a Council member's staff. After all, they have much greater responsibilities, and probably work longer hours, too.

Again, I do not really see what the problem is. Cockrel may have increased his staff's salaries in accordance with what the mayor's staff is typically paid. When he left that office, if he had room in his city council budget to continue to pay them at similar rates, what exactly is the problem?

If Cockrel did something improper, I would be the first person to blast him for it, but I am not yet convinced that anything improper occurred. With today's media, it is very easy for someone to get tarnished, and I think we should look at reports like this very critically, especially considering that it does not appear that what occurred was improper.

[tahleel]

Not the first time the news try to blame him..

"This just in, more corruption in the City Council"..

*shrug*

-Tahleel

[Mista Alan]

Cman, how big was the raise Cockrel gave you? Seriously man, this is Detroit. The mayor's about to lay off a couple thousand people, cut the salaries of a couple thousand more, all while the city's biggest industry is getting ready for its funeral. And um, time to start handing out 40% raises, paid for by a city that's $200 million in the hole?

Hey, sounds like a great plan! I sure hope YOU'RE running for Mayor this time around!

[Thames]

The "private sector" argument is dead. There aren't any jobs in the private sector these days and the people that do have jobs in the private sector are seeing wage cuts, not increases. Everybody is doing more for less. The private sector does not receive a pension, the private sector is losing health benefits or being charged a lot more for those benefits. The only 40% increase the private sector is seeing is in the increase to their health care costs.

[gazhekwe]

He has X amount of dollars in his budget, which he has consistently underspent and returned the excess to the City. OK? Now, he gives his staff a cushy raise, which still keeps him on or under budget. How is this wrong?

[sirrealone]

He has X amount of dollars in his budget, which he has consistently underspent and returned the excess to the City. OK? Now, he gives his staff a cushy raise, which still keeps him on or under budget. How is this wrong?

Because when you've got a record $250 million deficit staring you in the face, returning a little isn't enough when you have the opportunity to return a greater chunk, and possibly save a few jobs elsewhere.