Issues with the North Bend Budget
I made the following Public Comment during this week’s city council meeting:
I was not originally planning on attending tonight, however a significant number of North Bend residents reached out to me and requested that I speak on their behalf. I am here to address the vote tonight to give your City Administrator a $35,000 raise bringing him to a whopping $179,000 per year which is more than double what a Sheriff’s deputy makes, and is higher than the salary of a United States Senator.
You probably think I’m here tonight to boisterously criticize this man. I could stand here and talk about how Mr. Milliron has sought to silence outspoken members of the public here today, including elected officials that sit on this very council. I could speak about the cities in Georgia and Ketucky who forced him to resign due to a toxic work environment and allegations of illegal misconduct.
But I won’t waste my time explaining all of his poor decisions, because tonight is really about a decision that you all face. Nor will I ask the council to vote against this unnecessary and undeserved salary increase because I know you have already made up your mind to support it. Instead I will make another request. My proposal tonight is reasonable, it is rational, it is intelligent, and it is informed. I ask that you motion to table this agenda item and wait on this vote until after the primary election in May, at which time you will know whether the 5 year Public Safety Levy has passed or not.
Now what in the world does David Milliron’s $35k raise have to do with the County Levy? Well, I sat here last night and listened to all of you discuss how incredibly important it is that we fund law enforcement. You all discussed the potential of massive layoffs in the Sheriff’s Department and specifically the Jail. And you all spoke of the dire situation North Bend and other cities are in due to the lack of adequate beds and adequate funding for the county jail.
Now ask yourself – Wouldn’t this $35k be more appropriately allocated to help increase staff and jail space for criminals committing crimes against people, property, and businesses in North Bend and your sister cities?
Or wouldn’t this 35 thousand dollars be more appropriately allocated to a dedicated narcotics officer with the South Coast Interagency Narcotics Team, which our cities desperately need in order to get drug dealers out of Coos County and junkies out of our neighborhoods? Or how about putting this $35k towards another deputy district attorney to work on prosecuting the severe backlog of criminal cases that you mentioned last night?
David Milliron moved here from across the country for this position knowing exactly what the salary would be. And he has not given any rational explanation for why he needs the extra $35k. He is not struggling to feed his family. His rent has not skyrocketed. He has plenty of money. He doesn't NEED this extra $35k ... he WANTS this extra $35k. Our government should be addressing NEEDS – not WANTS – especially in this financial climate where we are talking about the potential of laying off 20+ Sheriff’s deputies this summer and every level of government claims they are short on cash.
The incredible hypocrisy of pushing your constituents to vote to pay more taxes to fund the jail and district attorney, while being unwilling to set an example and pay for it yourselves is beyond me. I ask that you reconsider how this vote speaks volumes to the true priorities of your administration. I strongly suggest that you vote to table this topic in order to have a more informed and fiscally intelligent discussion in June.
Tonight’s vote is less about pay scale and more about how you think the city should prioritize spending hard-earned taxpayer dollars. It is about your mindset and convictions, and having the courage to stand up for what is right even when it is not the popular opinion in the room. If you believe your actions today should match your words from yesterday, then this money should go towards public safety.
We The People are always watching, and decisions like tonight’s are not forgotten.
Proposed contract amendment for the North Bend City Administrator:
