In a decision that has stirred a mix of reactions among Kalamazoo County residents, county commissioners have voted to significantly increase their salaries. Despite some pushback from the public, the proposal narrowly passed with a 5-4 vote, according to reporting by FOX 17. Starting in 2025, commissioners will see their annual earnings jump from $18,000 to approximately $33,000, nearly doubling their current pay.
Long deliberated over and not without controversy, the raise aims to attract individuals who possess the resolve to possibly make public service a more manageable part of their lives. "This gives them opportunity to bridge that gap so they can go, ‘ok I can be a public servant and be at my job still’," argued District 4 Commissioner, Abigail Wheeler, in a statement obtained by FOX 17. A county employee highlighted the contrast of the pay bump with other full-time workers by saying, "This is more than slap in the face to every employee working full-time hours for part-time wages, while the board proposes full-time wages for part-time jobs," as reported by FOX 17.
While there was consideration of setting the new salary to as high as $40,000, the final figure was established at $33,155 to equate to the county’s lowest-paid full-time employee. This information comes via WOODTV, which reported the details of the adjusted resolution. Premiums for positions like chair or vice chair also factor into the new compensation scale.
Under the specter of public disquiet, commissioners like Monteze Morales fought to justify their decision, saying, "I fight so that we don’t have to do these wage studies and spend $100,000 on a wage study and put it towards salaries. Those are things you all don’t see so no, I’m not greedy," as she told WWMT. Conversely, some residents accused commissioners of disconnect and greed, illustrating the contention surrounding the pay raise. One resident suggested “The proposed increase reflects a disconnect from the realities of the people who are fighting to keep their heads above water,” as reported by WWMT.
