Who is PAYING for the RAISE?

Wasatch County residents want to know!

It is now over two months since the decision was made for a fourfold pay increase by a few of our elected officials,and nary an explanation, justification or rationalization has been offered.  Adequate opportunities have been available when asked at Council meetings, or after a bevy a comments at the HL&P Board meeting, or in responses to Email queries on the subject.

Perhaps those recipients of this bountiful, self ordained, Christmas present compliments of those paying for electricity think that the public will grow weary and they will be able to keep their ill-gotten gains. 

To put this Pay Raise in perspective, the $10,000 that each of the board members received in December simply for RETROACTIVE benefits (that could not even have been used), is approximately equally to the total of all of the $12 service fees paid by all electricity users for several months.

Consider this,  the amount the Heber City Mayor and  HL&P Board Chair Phillips will be paid for ONE board meeting ($2,300) will be more than ALL of the payments that my business pays for electricity for twelve months.  Those payment also would NOT cover the amount he will receive for the meeting he did NOT attend in January to hear the public!

 What about that frugal widow lady paying $48 per month (including the $12 service fee), ALL of her electric bill payments, for nearly three years,  could just be forwarded directly to Midway Mayor Tatton to cover the cost of ONE month of her in-lieu-of health payments ($1689). 

Heber City council members currently share their board payments.   Three Council members, (Horner, Mergist and McDonald) are repaying their portion of the retroactive bonus of $4,000 for December, for a total of $12,000.   That's a bit more than Town President Whiting received.
Councilman Patterson has reportedly said the council "earned" it and he will not be returning his shared payment.  Former Councilman Straddeck  has given no indication of his decision;  an email query received no response.

Then, of course, we have to raise the exorbitant cost of this pay raise by another 7.65% to pay for the employer portion of FICA - unless this is be given as a no-taxable fringe benefit.

Whatever the cost it will have to come from one of two places - the taxpayers' right hand pocket or the HLP rate payers' left hand pocket.  

Will there be an explanation forthcoming?   Doubtful.   Will that pay raise decision be rescinded? Possibly.   Will the  money already paid be returned?  Only if public pressure is continually applied.    

The "rescind and return" Petition is still up at  http://sn.im/heberlight  or linked at Wasatchlive.com More detailed information can be found at www.wasatch.blogspot.com.

The petition will formally be presented at the next HL & P meeting Wed, Feb 22, 4:15 PM (if they allow it on the agenda this time).