Brentwood officials failed to pass the 2016 city budget in the end of 2015. At a board of aldermen workshop meeting on the budget on Jan. 25, Alderwoman Maureen Saunders suggested that pension for elected officials be removed from the budget, saying no other comparable area city offers it. Saunders said she refused to sign up for the pension.
Update: Per comments below, aldermen Patrick Toohey and Steve Lochmoeller also do not participate in the pension program.
The 2016 budget was not on the agenda for the Feb. 1 meeting of the board of aldermen, and Saunders asked that it be put on the agenda for the next meeting.
Brentwood, Maplewood and Richmond Heights all give their elected officials a salary for serving. Brentwood is the only one with pension.
Brentwood retired officials receive a pension (per ordinance passed in 1969). The ordinance set up a “Retirement System” for “Present and Future General Employees, including all elected officials eligible for coverage…” The system excludes police and firefighters covered by the city’s “Brentwood Police and Firemen’s Retirement Pension Fund.” The amount of pension officials receive was not included in an email from city deputy clerk, Octavia Pittman.
For current officials, in Brentwood, aldermen receive $600 per month ($7,200 annually) and the mayor receives $1,200 per month ($14,400 annually).
In Maplewood, currently, council members David Cerven, Fred Wolf and Shawn Faulkingham are receiving $2,400 annually ($200 per month); council members Karen Wood, Tim Dunn and Barry Greenberg are receiving $3,500 annually ($292 per month). Mayor Jim White is receiving $4,800 annually ($400 per month). After April 2017 all council members will receive $3,500 annually and the mayor’s salary will be $6,000 annually ($500 per month), according to city clerk, Karen Scheidt.
In Richmond Heights, following the April 5 election, council members, including the mayor, will be compensated $480 per month. The mayor will receive an additional $6,000 per year, according to City Manager Amy Hamilton.
Aldermanic seats are up for election on April 5 in Brentwood. Council seats and mayor are being voted on in Richmond Heights. No seats are up for election this cycle in Maplewood.
Alderman Lochmoeller also does not participate in the pension plan.
I usually just read these comments and shake my head …I really wish some of you would proof read your comment before you hit post….it really is necessary. I am and have been a supporter of Maureen and the board members willing to expose the problems here in my beloved home town. I have lived here my whole life (except for a short time right after I got married) John this year that totals to 50 years. I know lots of folks who are in the same “boat” as me. This is a wonderful little town. Or it was until some good men and women let a little “power” go to their heads and they some how thought they could do anything they wanted and we would just go along with them. Shame on us for giving them that impression. I understand why we pay aldermen a stipen, but why are we paying committee members a stipen? is serving your community not enough? Used to be one volunteered for these types of positions. It was an honor to serve your community! I personally think we should seriously consider lowering the stipen we pay the mayor and the aldermen. It should be much more in line with what other communities around here pay. And what the heck is a pension for them as well, excuse me but for what? Serve your community but please don’t take advantage of it. This is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, improvements can and should always be made. I am just wondering why it seems so many have an agenda to take advantage of the tax paying citizen, who’s should wake up and pay attention to what our government is doing in our name
Apparently I didn’t proof read my post as closely as I should have the last line should read “who should ” instead do “who’s ” thank you that is all 🙂
Chris, I have lived here 20 years (if that matters) and what I do is try to help make my community better. I did volunteer 12 years ago and was appointed by the BOA. What was I supposed to do, not take the stipen that was offered to me? I am serving my community & I enjoy doing it, but I do take offense to people saying that there is some underlying agenda going on. What happened in the past is done and over. Multiple things have been enacted by many good people to move our city forward and to keep it going forward there has to be some trust in our elected officals as they are all citizens just like you and me want to do what is best for Brentwood. Just because there are problems in the past that needed to be exposed does not mean that they are going on now or will go on in the future.
This citizen is agreeing with Ron, too many people on the payroll and way too much money being passed around to the workers of Brentwood and those on boards or elected officials.
Hard to take comments from folks like John Nuernberger knowing he is on planning and zoning getting, I think, $100 a meeting. For John to criticize the city it will never happen, his opinion has been bought, with the city being the donor, John and others in his position cannot be unbiased. Take away the money, create an environment where people decide based on the merits of an issue not on how much money the city is paying, don’t want to bite the hand that feeds me.
In what ways is it possible for Alderperson Saunders being the source of all of Brentwood’s problems. She is the only elected official that is willing to tell the truth, and the only one that has exposed all the financial abuse going on at City Hall. She pointed out our lack of rainy day funds, now all the Alderman want credit because it has increased, Alderpersons taking benefits that were significantly better than the average citizen, the fact that we pay some of the highest possible wages for employees, the fact that our Alderman can sign up for a pension and she digs into issues. She is the only one that seems to understand running the city is like running a business, everyone else just seems to have their hand in the cookie jar wanting more money or benefits.
Want better streets and a more local feel to Brentwood, support what she is doing and more money will flow to benefit the citizens not those working for the citizens who already have well above average pay and benefits.
Mary Why the fact that I am on a board makes you think that I have somehow been bought. I get a stipen for the many hours I spend at city hall on camera dealing with city issues. What I do on P&Z is to help the city negotiate with businesses that want to buy, renovate or redevelopment areas in Brentwood they own. I do not solict them to come before the board they apply to the City if you think the pay is so much put a request to the mayor on your alerman to sit on the P&Z board and you can spend your time doing something good for the city. All our 12 member board does is make reccomendations for the BOA to approve and I only have one vote. As far as you saying I am somehow biased they you must not know me as I do not know you. I have opinions for sure and I exprees them and I am an easy canidiate as I do post my opinions under my name just as you have. I attend BOA meeting or watch them on tape when I cannot be there. I looked at the budget on line and made my own opinions. I would be curious what do you do for the communtiy besides question someones character that you have never met.
Sad commentary from Alderman Toohey, a simple clarification was all that was necessary. Your true colors came through with your immature post. Being as bitter as you are are you sure your fit to be an elected official.
In this citizen’s opinion our city’s problem is money is thrown around to way too many people. Comparable cities have citizens who volunteer to be a part of the process. For Brentwood, our Mayor is paid, Alderpersons are paid, P&Z folks get paid to attend meetings, Alderman get pensions and at one time gave themselves health care benefits. The Architect Review Board is paid. Anyone know what other committees get paid? How can the citizens ever expect better roads when inside our government entity their is a giant Santa Claus passing out our tax dollars. My understanding is a P&Z meeting costs the city $100 per P&Z member. Over 10 years with 10 attendees, that is $120,000. Would that of helped a neighborhood street?
To think that paying what amounts to a receptionist $89,000 with A+ benefits is smart budgeting is a display of all that is wrong with Brentwood. When you go to work on Monday you should tell the man or woman at your place of business about the opening, as this would at least triple their income.
Money, Power and Greed – on display in Brentwood. Who is to blame, yes we the citizens who pay no attention.
Something seems wrong with the comments I just read.
I thought the subject was to be about “How much area elected officials are paid; Brentwood’s has pension,” (alderpersons? ). Most of what I read was about streets and doctors, not salaries and pension?
Alderperson Toomey made reference to one citizen having his head in his reticle cavity by saying maybe that person should see a Proctologist. That is professionalism at the highest. Toohey, be professional and do not enter into these comments because you are always upstaged.
How long must an Alderperson serve before they can apply for their pension? Who can answer this question?
Heres a considerstion regarding road work; as far as my memory goes the same Brentwood company has been awarded this type of work supposedly in a competitive bidding situation. Its perhaps time to examine the bidding process to guarantee that its fair and truly competitive.
Road work is bid out publically, opened publically, the results made public, and taken to the aldermen where they are discussed, voted on and approved. There are generally a number of respondents to bids. The Brentwood company does get a couple of advantages, which is primarily related to it’s location. Moving of man power and equipment is expensive, when they are located within blocks of a project that mobilization of man power and equipment is decreased. The second advantage is that there is an ordinance that allows for a Brentwood business to be selected over the lowest bidder if it is within 3% of the lowest bid.
Your post seems pretty dramatic. I’ve noticed a reoccurring theme of bashing Maureen Saunders for not voting the way you want. I’d just like to throw in my .02 and say that I’ve always respected Maureen’s willingness to ask questions, and seek additional additional information and answers on big decisions regarding our city that affect all of us. In my opinion she has always asked for transparency and clarity regarding issues she finds concerning. I certainly would never view her as hating Brentwood, in fact I believe she is passionate and cares deeply for our city. Cleary, if there isn’t a unanimous vote here then obviously there are concerns. I don’t think any of our alderman would be voting no just out of spite. Just my opinion.
Jerry – you obviously don’t realize how stupid and bitter you sound. Alderperson Saunders wants all those dollars going to overpaying people including elected officials to go where it belongs to the people of Brentwood which would include fixing the roads. Everyone else is taking their pension but her, do you by any chance see the irony in your idiotic statement Jerry.
What position do you fill working for Brentwood Jerry?
There is a substantial amout of residential road work, I beleive it was almost double from 2015, in the 2016 budget that cannot be done or put out to bid until the budget is passed. You can thank the Alderman that voted NO on the budget for that. If they all get 5% that would about 350 per year and for all the Alderman $2800 (I do not know what they recive this is just a guess). Is that worth Maureen holding up a $20,000,000 plus budget and risk not having roads done? If the bid do not go out in the month or so it may be to late to get a contractor to provide competeive bids as they schedule out for big jobs well in advance so may have to wait till 2017. The budget could have been passed and a new bill could have been introduced in 2016 to have the benefit removed. I also ask myself why did Maureen not bring this up in the numerous budget meetings, before she voted no on the budget and way and means meeting that she attends in 2015.
Actually Justin, you are just as inaccurate as you accuse Jerry to be. I have never put in the paper work to receive the pension as such the city has never paid into the pension for me.
There is a saying in life, “when you change the way you look at things, the way you perceive things changes.” For some reason every time you read something about the city your head goes to a dark place and you cannot accurately perceive the situation. You need to get your head out of darkness and into the light. Now, in order to get your head into the light, I am not sure if you need to visit a neurologist, a psychologist, or a proctologist.
John, please explain how a single alderman can hold up our budget all by themselves. Why do you put all of this on her shoulders, why did you not mention Leahy or the others.
Justin I said you can thank all the alerman that voted NO. That would be Leahy, Locmuller, Manstar and Saunders. Maureens issuse at the Budget workshop was a new issue that was the Pension paid to Alerman? That was the first time I ever heard about that issue. My question was why was that not discussed in 2015 at the various meetings that were held and isn’t Maureen on the way and means committee that reccomended the budget and to me holding up the 2016 budget for that issue does not look good. By the way I would support and agree with aldermans not recieving a pension
Since Maureen Saunders complains so much about Brentwood and the residents and the people who work for Brentwood, she should PAY THE CITY to be an Alderperson. GOOD JOB on fixing our horrible roads, Maureen!