THE FOLLOWING STORY IS BY BILL PICKETT
Some county board members voiced concern Wednesday over the salary set recently for the new director of the Vermilion County Department of Animal Regulations. “Let’s be fair. Let’s be honest. He got a $20-thousand dollar increase in salary,” said board member Tim McFadden….
AUDIO: I’m waiting for the outrage for the $20,000 increase in the salary. We saw Mr. Fauver raked over the coals for the additional $40,000 in hopes to stop the spread of transmitted infections in the county; but we’re just going to sit here silently and say nothing about a $20,000 increase in salary.
But Lon Henderson, chairman of the Health and Education Committee, said the increase was actually $8,639 (compared to the previous director)….
AUDIO: If you had a concern about salaries, perhaps you should not have approved eight additional positions last year; so that there would be all this increased dollars available to make an adjustment. But I will tell you that Mr. Goodner has been there every day. He has been there early at 7 AM, he’s been there for closing. He has earned every penny that he has. And he has already demonstrated to us a savings within our overall budget of roughly 15%; because we are now in budget, in line, and under budget as we leave going into this year.
McFadden went on to cite a number of other county employees who are not making the $100,000 that the animal control director makes – including sergeants on the sheriff’s department with over 20 years experience, assistant state’s attorneys, correctional sergeants and others.
Board member Christine Lamar had voiced concerns earlier about the county animal control director making $10-thousand dollars more than the mental health director. But she noted if new animal control director Ryan Goodner is going to save the county $500,000 a year – she is now okay with it.
But county board member Becky Stark said she has an issue with the $100-thousand dollar salary of the animal control director. She added she wants to see the savings first.
