Published: August 20, 2008 12:02 am            

Mayor upset with board

Recycling district director resigning, asks for increases

Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight is just one of seven votes on the Howard County Recycling District Board, and that’s just one of his frustrations.

The board, made up of four Howard County representatives, two city of Kokomo representatives and one rep from Greentown, controls annual tax and grant revenue of more than $900,000.

The majority of that revenue comes from city taxpayers, however, and Tuesday, Goodnight was fighting for a right to help pick the next recycling district director.

Marla Vechey, director for the past 31/2 years, announced Tuesday she plans to return to school next year to pursue a master’s degree.

Her resignation will create an opening in a job that pays $52,000 a year, with a take-home car and county health-care benefits.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Paul Raver, a county commissioner and recycling board president, was ready to choose Kokomo Common Councilman Ralph Baer, fellow commissioner Dave Trine and Greentown board president Joyce Higginbottom to recommend Vechey’s successor.

“Is there any reason the city administration couldn’t be involved in this?” Goodnight asked before a vote could be taken. “It would be nice, since we were excluded from the last one, that we could be involved in this one.”

Goodnight was referring to the recent hiring of Michelle Gilbert, a Howard County Health Department employee, as the recycling district’s new nuisance enforcement officer.

The newly created position, which pays $36,600 per year, will perform basically the same job the city’s nuisance enforcement officer performs, but will have jurisdiction throughout the entire county.

City officials, including council members, approved the ordinance giving the new nuisance officer her authority. The ordinance was also passed by the county commissioners.

But Tuesday, Goodnight went so far as to suggest he’d been purposely bypassed during the selection process for Gilbert. That suggestion was met by a denial by Vechey that any interviews for the position had been conducted without Goodnight’s knowledge.

The meeting ended with Goodnight and Vechey engaged in an argument over the issue.

Adding to the turmoil is Goodnight’s indignation over Vechey’s request for $3,000 raises next year for each of the three current staff positions, and a $1,400 raise for Gilbert’s position.

“How do they justify those kind of raises with the economy the way it is?” Goodnight asked earlier this week. “We’re asking [city employees] to take no raise, and the county’s strapped as well.”

However the recycling district, which has its own property tax and local income and wheel tax revenue, currently has $1.4 million in reserves.

Vechey said Tuesday the district has been taking in more revenue than it spends on recycling programs for years.

Her predecessors, Ron Whitacre and the late Keith Fallon, both tried to convince the county officials forming the majority on the recycling board to use some of the revenue to offer at least limited curbside recycling programs.

The board majority resisted those proposals, however, and also declined to reduce the district’s property tax rate, knowing it was unlikely state officials would ever restore the levy if it was reduced, Vechey said.

In the past year, however, the district has made a concerted effort to expand its programs, adding the nuisance enforcement position, and expanding collections for household chemicals, electronics and tires.

That’s part of the reason Vechey proposed increasing next year’s budget by more than 20 percent.

The salary increases, she said, are partially to cover a 4.5 percent cost-of-living increase, and partially to reimburse district employees for their switch to the county’s insurance program.

That switch, made two months ago, happened at least in part because Goodnight balked at adding the new nuisance enforcement position to the city’s insurance.

Vechey’s budget includes almost $80,000 in district funds to cover insurance benefits for the employees, but because both the county and the city are self-insured, the cost to taxpayers could be significantly higher if any of the district employees create large claims.

Now those claims will be the county’s to deal with.

The district board will meet again Sept. 16 and is expected to again discuss both the proposed 2009 budget and the makeup of the committee to recommend Vechey’s successor.

Scott Smith may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@kokomotribune.com

        

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