Council to directors who got raises: Pay it back

Columbus Councilors made it quite clear during today’s meeting that they were not pleased with the city administration’s recent executive salary controversy.

One by one, they chastised City Manager Isaiah Hugley and Mayor Teresa Tomlinson for their roles in granting 16 of the city’s top department directors and executive managers hefty pay raises without first getting council’s approval. They formally and publicly rescinded the raises, which already had been rescinded, voted to make those who got them pay back the extra money they had gotten in the one paycheck issued before they were rescinded, and put in motion a move to limit Hugley’s spending authority.

The controversy began during an executive session held on Aug. 9, when Hugley was putting forth Holli Browder to be the next Parks and Recreation director, with a salary of about $88,400, which is the new standard starting salary for directors. Councilors pointed out that some other existing directors should get a raise to bring them up to that level. Tomlinson said Hugley should put together a proposal containing what needed to be done and bring it back to council. Hugley said he would prefer to handle the matter administratively. Councilor Judy Thomas at the end of the meeting told Hugley, “I want you to handle it. Do it.”

The result was 16 directors receiving raises ranging from 2.5 percent to 22 percent, and as much as almost $16,000 a year in one case, in a year that saw the rank and file workers get a 2 percent raise that in some cases did not cover the increase in health insurance premiums.

After receiving a tip about the raises, the Ledger-Enquirer submitted an Open Records request for the raises. When the newspaper submitted the request, Hugley had an email sent to all councilors notifying them of the Open Records request and of the salary increases, of which they had no knowledge.

At council’s Sept. 27 meeting, in another executive session, councilors ordered the administration to rescind the raises, but did not order them to take back the money already paid under them.

Council’s vote today to formally rescind the raises and order the return of the money was unanimous, with all 10 councilors in attendance.

Councilor Pops Barnes was the most vehement in his criticism of the situation.

“It’s disgraceful … disgraceful,” Barnes said. “It was a slam, an unjust slam on this council and on the integrity of each of these councilors.”

Councilor Judy Thomas said she had never seen salary increases handled the way these were handled, and questioned why council was not part of the decision-making process and the way council found out about it.

“I don’t know who alerted the newspaper of this event. It was not me,” Thomas said. “But if it had not been for that open records request, I don’t know that we would know today that these salaries had been increased.”

At one point, Councilor Gary Allen made a motion to reduce the amount of Hugley’s discretionary spending from the current $25,000 to $10,000. Deputy City Attorney Lucy Sheftall informed councilors that could not be done by a motion and would have to come back as an ordinance. After some opposition from Councilor Mimi Woodson, the motion passed 8-2, with Woodson and Councilor Evelyn Turner-Pugh opposing, to bring the reduction in Hugley’s discretionary spending back as an ordinance.

Amid the criticism, Tomlinson explained that it was a misunderstanding of what council intended on Aug. 9 that led to the controversy.

“I think it shows how one moment in time, with good intentions on everybody’s part, can go awry,” Tomlinson said.

Hugley, too, said it was a misunderstanding, and that he did not go into the Aug. 9 executive session looking to get raises for anyone.

“I want to be very clear that I went into that session for one reason, and that was to discuss my appointment of Holli Browder for Parks and Rec director,” Hugley said. “I didn’t go in to pursue directors’ pay. I didn’t go in for that, but that’s what I came out with. However, we will fix it and move forward.”

Barnes congratulated Hugley for accepting responsibility for the mistake, then criticized Tomlinson for not doing so.

“I appreciate that you manned up. That shows leadership,” Barnes said to Hugley, then turned to Tomlinson. “I think you need to take some of the responsibility. I have a problem with that.”

Tomlinson said she had taken responsibility “several times today,” and took issue with Barnes’ assessment of the situation.

“I will continue to show you respect, and I hope you will return the favor,” Tomlinson said, turning toward Barnes. “Some of what was said was unnecessary.”

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Council to directors who got raises: Pay it back."