I am still crunching the numbers, but what I have found so far is that the most surprising raise was $10K to Mayor Paul TenHaken’s Deputy Chief of Staff, T.J. Typover Nelson. How on earth could this little partisan hack deserve such a raise? Simple, he is Mayor Paul TenHaken’s little schemer.
Shucking and jiving transparency at every corner.
Number two in this fiasco is a $12K year raise to a guy in charge of our growing crime rate, understaffed police force, super low morale and a general sense that we really don’t even have a police chief, Matt Burns. Why you would reward someone with such a raise who has been such a dismal failure is beyond me.
I can’t say much about the highest raise, sucky job, could make more in the private sector, and I don’t have a MD, so I will just stay out of that.
Here’s some link’s to salaries since 2011;
2020 – 2019 – 2018 – 2017 – 2016 – 2011 to 2015
TJ’s increase is actually a commission based on how many negative comments he made against tornado relief victim/complainers on FB during the fall of 2019.
TJ Nelson gets nearly a 12% raise, when most wage earners are expected to be grateful for, what, 3%-4% annual raises? TJ Nelson – who dissed SF constituents on FB with childish memes and suffered no consequence – gets a big raise? TJ Nelson, campaign manager for PTH, whose previous resume consists mostly of jobs that lasted mere months. . . gets a big raise? TJ Nelson: did he pay for any of the costs associated with the time away from his job (presumably w/full pay) for the Harvard/Bloomberg education he now claims on his resume? This spoiled PTH soldier gets a 12% raise??!! I guess it comes as no surprise; it fits right in with the SD GOP/Noem school of nepotism – and we know TJ & PTH are thoroughly steeped in all things GOP.
It must be hard to retain those who are willing to give up their patriotism and support unconstitutional Strong Mayor. Give them their payoff. Maybe also a Trumpy Bear to suck their thumbs with.
Just out of curiosity – have no dog in the kennel – what exactly are the duties of the Chief Med Officer?? Does the city perform/provide internal medical services (physicals, drug testing, etc.) for city employees? Or is it simply a “consulting” or policy investigating/writing position?
Never mind, I have discovered my own answer. It’s a socialist medical clinic the city runs. Living out of the boundaries of the city – I guess I have become accustomed to the more typical “your on your own” culture of the rest of the state.
Are CITY WORKERS “Public Servants”, Public Stewards, or Public Employes?
1) I do NOT think our Police Department is under staffed. Look at other Cities in South Dakota and ‘WE” have larger apportionment of Police Officers as compared to populations of say Mitchell, Huran, Chamberlain, Brookings, etc-etc. We DO NOT have to many cops, in fact they may be to busy doing other non-related police jobs.
2) When you take a JOB with the CITY, you are actually becoming a “Public Steward”. Yes – the goal should NOT be to get rich quick in government, but to provide your LABOR/Services to the public to help manage our public trust. Public Stewards do NOT get guaranteed wages, benefits, retirement pensions, they simply get “Compensated” for their time away from home, or other employment. They do it cause they love the “Citizens” of the City, not because of ‘money’.
A look over this list of salaries of the City – We pay these “public steward” very well. Just look at what we pay a CUSTODIAN for the City – They are earning $14-20.00 dollars pear hour, whereas in the Private Sector that same job pays $7.25 to $10.25 per hour with NO Benefits.
The fact here is – Government has become a large “SLUSH FUND” to pay back the very people who put certain people in power. This is NOT a Republican or Democrat issue, both parties do it, both parties contribute to this mess, and both parties pay back their supporters. It just happens to be the populous of this state happens to be dominated by Republican Voters.
I am the last person to criticize anyone, and I will NOT say anything bad about anyone in particular, there are better ways to do that, and more respectful ways.
Our Mayor, Our City Directors, Officers, Officials, to Employees all MAKE way to much money and are cared for much better than anyone within the “private sector”, and that should not be. They are Public Stewards, caretakers of the Public Trust. Government should NOT compete with the Private Sector for Jobs, they are NOT an employer and should NOT be an employer. They are a “COST” to the American Tax Payer.
Sincerely,
Mike Zitterich