City Withholds Salary Increase Information
By Jon A. Brake
The City Administration would like to keep some information away from the public...Salary Increases.
Two weeks ago the City Commission approved the 2003 Salary Ordinance. This will give City employees anywhere from 2.5% to 6% raise. The Commissioners received a spreadsheet listing all of the City employees and the salary increase for each employee. The Commissioners discussed the spreadsheet information at an open meeting  which makes the material open to the public.
When the Manhattan Free Press requested the information last week we were told that some of the information on the spreadsheet was private information and could not be released. The Free Press than ask and received the spreadsheet  without the "private" material.
The Free Press obtained a copy of the original spreadsheet and surprise, surprise the information removed from the Free Press copy was not "private" but simply the percentage of increase for each employee.
A memo was given to the Commission by Cathy Harmes, Director of Human Resources telling about the increase.
Harmes said, "The proposed 2003 Salary Ordinance modifies the pay grades and  “Salary Administration Policy and Guideline” for classified positions. There are two elements included in the 2003 Salary Ordinance. The first element provides approximately $500 as an economic adjustment to full-time employees in the classified pay structure, to be effective December 22, 2002, the beginning of the 2003 fiscal year. Regular part-time employees will receive approximately $250 as an economic adjustment. The $500 annual adjustment represents an approximate 3.0% increase for employees earning $17,000, and 0.1% for employees earning $60,000.)"
Harmes went on to say: "With employee’s share of family health premium increasing 10% for 2002, or by approximately $200, the $500 economic adjustment will cover the increased cost for health insurance and provide a net annual economic salary adjustment ranging from approximately 0.005% to 1.7.0%."
Last year the City Commission reduced the amount of Vehicle allowances from $4,500 down to about $2,100. (Editor's Note: The Free Press requested the correct amount from Finance Director Bernie Hayen but the information had not been received by press time.)
In a memo written by City Manager Ron Fehr, the Commissioners were told "I think it is important to note that the City Commission approved changes regarding the City's vehicle allowance policy at the end of last year. One of those significant changes was to reduce the amount of vehicle allowances that are received by the Department Heads and key management staff. That new policy was incorporated into this year's salary ordinance. I indicated my intention to make an adjustment to those employees' base salaries that may be affected by a change in the vehicle allowance policy in order that they did not suffer financially due to a change in this policy."
In other words if an employee had been receiving $4,500 Vehicle Allowance last year and that was reduced to $2,500 by the Commission, the $2,500 loss was added to the employees base pay.
Another area that the Free Press requested information was the three members of the Manhattan Fire Department and the low hourly wage. Hayen told the Free Press that he thought it was because the are paid by the year (example $50,000) but this report used an hourly wage. The Fire Department put in more than 40 hrs. per week, so the hourly wage is lower.
Here is a list of twenty-six of the top paid City employees and the percentage of pay increase that they received. Again this information was not given to the Free Press under the Kansas Open Records Act by the City Administration. It was withheld so that the public would not see it:

Ronald Fehr
'94-97 Assist City Manager
2001 City Manager
City of Manhattan
1994 - $50,419.20
1995 - $53,206.40
1996 - $59,030.40
1997 - $61,401.60
2001 - $98,836.32
Current Hourly Wage - $43.58
3% Merit Increase

Terry Deweese
Director Parks/Recreation
City of Manhattan
1994 - $59,904.00
1995 - $62,004.80
1996 - $64,292.80
1997 - $66,872.00
2001 - $86,618.40
Current Hourly Wage - $39.52
1.10% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment

Bernard Hayen
Director of Finance
City Of Manhattan
2001 - $81,073.68
Current Hourly Wage - $39.68
1.85% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment

James Woydziak
Director Fire Services
City of Manhattan
2001 - $79,050.40
Current Hourly Wage - $38.49
1.13% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment

William Frost
City Attorney
City of Manhattan
2001 - $76,814.40
Current Hourly Wage - $36.57
2.50% Economic Adjustment

Gerald McIntyre Jr.
Director of Utilities
City of Manhattan
2001 - $68,574.64
Current Hourly Wage - $32.56
1.33% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment

Charles Williams
Assistant Dir PW/Trans
City of Manhattan
1994 - $41,225.60
1995 - $42,660.80
1996 - $43,804.80
1997 - $47,840.00
2001 - $63,960.80
Current Hourly Wage - $31.32
3.38% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Cathy Harmes
96 - Public Cust Svc Spv
97 - Dir Human Resource
City of Manhattan
1996 - $29,390.40
1997 - $45,232.00
2001 - $62,986.40
Current Hourly Wage - $30.35
2.43% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment

Karen Davis
Dir Community Devel
City of Manhattan
1994 - $37,044.80
1995 - $38,708.80
1996 - $42,556.80
1997 - $45,801.60
2001 - $62,904.40
Current Hourly Wage - $30.51
2.45% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Diane Stoddard
'96 Asst To City Manager
'01 - Asst. City Manager
City of Manhattan
1996 - $33,196.80
1997 - $35,193.60
2001 - $61,710.40
Current Hourly Wage - $29.37
2.55% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Jerry Dishman
Park Superintendent
City of Manhattan
1994 - $36,649.60
1995 - $37,939.20
1996 - $39,353.60
1997 - $40,934.40
2001 - $54,412.24
Current Hourly Wage - $26.45
4.03% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Scott Shoemaker
City of Manhattan
Zoo Director
1996 - $37,065.60
1997 - $38,542.40
2001 - $53,685.60
Current Hourly Wage - $25.75
4.15% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Eric Cattell
'94 Senior Planner
'01 Asst. Dir of Planning
City of Manhattan
1994 - $32,468.80
1995 - $33,612.80
1996 - $34,860.80
1997 - $36,254.40
2001 - $52,300.96
Current Hourly Wage - $26.34
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Gary Fees
City Clerk
City of Manhattan
2001 - $52,297.24
Current Hourly Wage - $25.51
4.19% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Pedro Armesto
Asst Dir Util - Water
City of Manhattan
2001 - $52,002.72
Current Hourly Wage - $24.81
4.30% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.00% Merit Increase

Abdulrazag Durar
Asst Dir Util - Wast Wat
2001 - $51,759.28
Current Hourly Wage - $25.17
4.24% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Donald Francis
'97 Fire Marshall
'01 Asst Dir of Fire
City of Manhattan
1994 - $35,193.60
1995 - $36,420.80
1996 - $38,521.60
1997 - $40,060.80
2001 - $51,108.12
Current Hourly Wage - $27.02
0.52% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
7.02% Promotion

Jerry Snyder
'97 Battalion Chief
'01 Asst Dir of Fire
City of Manhattan
1994 - $35,176.96
1995 - $36,429.12
1996 - $38,525.76
1997 - $40,069.12
2001 - $51,079.82
Current Hourly Wage - $27.02
2.50% Economic Adjustment
0.52% Other

Richard Berry
Battalion Chief
City of Manhattan
1994 - $35,176.96
1995 - $36,429.12
1996 - $38,525.76
1997 - $40,069.12
2001 - $50,806.62
Current Hourly Wage - $18.30
0.95 Other
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Gregg Gibson
'97 Mgmt Info Officer
'02 Info System Manager
City of Manhattan
1994 - $37,086.40
1995 - $38,376.00
1996 - $39,790.40
1997 - $41,392.00
2001 - $50,195.20
Current Hourly Wage - $25.73
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Michael Heptig
Battalion Chief
City of Manhattan
1994 - $34,501.48
1995 - $35,351.68
1996 - $37,390.08
1997 - $38,525.76
2001 - $47,786.44
Current Hourly Wage - $17.20
1.19% Other
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Sammi Mangus
Asst. To City Manager
City of Manhattan
2001 - $47,460.40
Current Hourly Wage - $22.93
4.68% Vehicle Allowance
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Deborah Daily
'97 Acctg Supervisor
'01 Asst Dir Finance
City of Manhattan
1996 - $29,744.00
1997 - $31,241.60
2001 - $47,227.68
Current Hourly Wage - $25.36
5.00% Reclassification
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Scott Clark
'97 Fire Lieutenant II
Ed Safety Officer
City of Manhattan
1994 - $30,284.80
1995 - $31,362.24
1996 - $32,206.72
1997 - $32,905.60
2001 - $46,46.28
Current Hourly Wage - $22.85
7.73% Promotion
2.60% Union Salary Adjustment

Ivan Wilkinson
'97 Rec Supervisor
'02 Rec Superintendent
City of Manhattan
1996 - $32,988.80
1997 - $34.632.00
2001 - $46,243.84
Current Hourly Wage - $23.46
2.50% Economic Adjustment
1.50% Merit Increase

Arlen Loecker
96 - Fire Lieutenant II
97 - Educ Safety Officer
'01 Battalion Chief
City of Manhattan
1994 - $31,507.84
1995 - $32,643.52
1996 - $33,517.12
1997 - $38,147.20
2001 - $46,114.44
Current Hourly Wage - $16.48
2.00% Promotion
2.50% Economic Adjustment