Grace Kirchner Leader Correspondent
A special meeting of the Clintonville Common Council has been called for 5:30 p.m. Thursday to deal with a veto by Mayor Lois Bressette
At a meeting Nov. 14, the council met in closed session to discuss the wages for water/wastewater manager Dave Tichinel. The council voted 5-3 to raise his wages up to $35 per hour. Tichinel is on salary and is not eligible for overtime/compensatory time.
Bressette cast a veto on that council decision. In a letter to Mary Metoxen, deputy clerk-treasurer, Bressette wrote that the council has committed to engage in a performance-based compensation study. City Administrator Sharon Eveland had been directed by the council to secure an outside consultant for a compensation study.
Bressette wrote that she feels the wage increase is not fair to all city employees. Tichinel will receive a 12 percent wage increase or a raise of nearly $8,000, while all other employee increases are 2.5 percent for electric utility staff and 1.5 percent for other employees.
Bressette wrote that she strongly supports wage increases, but they should be fair.
“Considering the Common Council has made a commitment and taken action to direct the city administrator to secure an outside consultant to oversee a compensation study, I feel it is in the best interest of the city to wait for the results of the compensation study before agreeing to increase one employee’s salary by 12 percent or a raise of nearly $8,000.”
Wisconsin law grants the mayor veto power on almost all acts of the council. To veto an action, the mayor must submit the request in writing to the clerk within five days of the original vote. In order to overturn the mayor’s veto, the council will need to have a two-thirds vote.
This is the first time that Bressette has used her veto power.