Press Release: What are County Commissioners doing with extra taxpayer money?

Below is the text of Dane’s most recent press release. Obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the figures show that Commissioner Domas has received nearly twice as much additional taxpayer money as any other Commissioner.

For Immediate Release 10/11/10

County Commissioners are part-time elected officials who receive salaries ranging from $15,325 to $18,114. In addition to their salaries, Commissioners also receive full health benefits, dental benefits and life insurance from the county, as well as county pensions.

The taxpayer-funded perks don’t stop there: Commissioners are also eligible for per diems to attend meetings and mileage allowances.

District 3 Commissioner David Domas, a sixteen-year veteran, leads the nine-member Board of Commissioners in requesting additional compensation. Over the past year, Domas has requested and received over $2,000 in “personal reimbursement,” “per diem” and other payments – in addition to his salary, benefits and pension eligibility.

Domas has personally received as much as the next two Commissioners combined and more than triple the reimbursements of three Commissioners. Two Commissioners did not request reimbursements in the past year.*

$2,340 Domas

1,274 Dolan

1,069 VanHouten

789 LaBelle

769 Jones

765 Williams

602 Griffith

0 Parker

0 Mantey

Dane Morris, Mr. Domas’ opponent in the District 3 Commission race, questioned Mr. Domas’ committment to fiscal responsibility. “I don’t know how you can call yourself ‘fiscally conservative’ when you are taking nearly $200 a month from the taxpayers in addition to all the other compensation received. That’s like a worker demanding extra pay just because he commutes and shows up at work.”

Morris, a retired teacher and youth soccer coach, lives in Hartland with his family

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*Reimbursement figures based on data provided by County Clerk Margaret Dunleavy on 9/30/10 in response to a FOIA request.

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Dane Morris, 2837 Sun Terrace Dr, Hartland, MI 48353. Printed in-house. Labor donated.

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