A local government watchdog group says it has uncovered a secret pay-raise plot in Provo City, but city officials say the group doesn't understand the issue and is spreading misinformation about it.
Citizen's Watch, an Orem-based group, obtained minutes from a Sept. 24 city department head meeting in which Mayor Joe Jenkins talks about holding off on a management compensation plan until after the November election."The mayor said the plan was moving along fine except they have some problems with the council right now with many of them facing re-election . . .," according to the minutes. Because of the delay "the mayor asked Eric (personnel director Eric Mauser) to give all management-level employees who had not received the 2 percent pay increase in July to be given that increase retroactive to July 1."
The group took out a full-page ad in a local newspaper Monday exposing "the mayor's secret agenda" and asking "Is it ethical?" and "Are you ready for a change?"
The ad got the city's dander up. Chief administrative officer Tom Martin said the group doesn't understand the compensation plan and doesn't want to. City officials said the plan is a change in philosophy, not a pay raise.
"I would say this is a deliberate campaign of misinformation by a group of people who do not want to know the truth," he said. "For a group of crazies to print this out of context is ridiculous."
Martin said the plan would do away with automatic step raises for the city's 30 to 35 department heads and assistants. It would be replaced by a pay-for-performance plan based on meeting monthly and annual goals. The salary range would remain within guidelines already established by the council, he said.
"It provides even closer scrutiny for top management of the city," Martin said.
Mauser said it's true that bringing the plan to the council for approval has been delayed.
"There are things we haven't totally formulated. It's still in draft form," he said.
Because the merit plan was in the works, top-level management was not given the 2 percent pay increase awarded other city employees in July. Martin had hoped to implement the new plan in late summer or early fall.
The mayor authorized the pay raise because the plan is on hold until January. Mauser said managers received the raise on their last pay checks.
Martin said the city administration probably will wait until the new council is seated before presenting the plan.
Mickey Cochran, Citizen's Watch spokesman, said the mayor is delaying the plan until "he gets his boys on the council." Council Chairman Steve Clark is the only incumbent still up for re-election. Council member Gordon Bullock lost in the primary. Two other incumbents are not running.
Cochran called the plan a conspiracy between the mayor and certain council members who knew about it. Jenkins meets with council Chairman Clark and Vice Chairman Mark Hathaway weekly. Cochran charged that Jenkins and the councilmen secretly plan legislation.
"This smacks of inside secret plot," he said. "Why is it not made public?"