Top Dawg Raises Approved, Not on County Commission Agenda
More St. Johns County Commissioner flummery, dupery and nincompoopery.
Once again, Commissioners awarded raises to maladroit mendacious County Administrator MICHAEL DAVID WANCHICK and to estimable County Attorney PATRICK FRANCIS McCORMACK, violating the Sunshine law by not placing the item on the agenda in advance, depriving concerned citizens of the knowledge that the raises were to be discussed. They did it during Commissioners' comments. How gauche and louche.
Watch here.
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Posted November 17, 2016 07:00 am - Updated November 17, 2016 07:49 am
By JAKE MARTIN jake.martin@staugustine.com
County Commission roundup: Administrator, attorney get raises after strong evaluations
St. Johns County commissioners on Tuesday approved 2.8 percent raises for County Administrator Michael Wanchick and County Attorney Patrick McCormack following a review of strong evaluations recently completed by the commissioners. Commission Chair Jeb Smith voted alone in dissent for both actions.
The 2.8 percent rate awarded to Wanchick and McCormack is the same granted to all county employees this year. Their raises will be retroactive to Oct. 1, the beginning of this fiscal year.
Smith said Wanchick scored 3.87 overall while McCormack scored 3.78, placing both annual evaluations between “Meets Expectations” and “Exceeds Expectations.”
Commissioners in January had approved 3.6 percent raises retroactive to Oct. 11, 2015.
The county did not respond to a request Wednesday for salary information. According to a previous Record report, citing an email from the county’s director of administrative and support services, the annual salaries after the 3.6 percent raise worked out to $208,145.87 for Wanchick and $168,844.22 for McCormack.
With the 2.8 percent increase factored in, Wanchick’s $5,828.08 raise would bring his salary up to $213,973.95, while McCormack’s $4,727.64 raise would bring his salary up to $173,571.86.
Commissioner Rachael Bennett said Wanchick has been with the county nine years, stepping into his role just before the economic downturn and at a time when commissioners were spending money “with both hands and both feet.”
“Our county has risen to the top just like cream and that doesn’t just happen,” she said. “I really believe that excellence starts at the top.”
Commissioner Jay Morris said Wanchick, by contract, could have taken an increase but didn’t for six years.
Although Bennett made a motion to give Wanchick a 5 percent raise, Wanchick said he’s never received a raise higher than those available to his employees and didn’t want to start now.
Bennett, noting her differences in opinion with the county attorney, said McCormack’s conservative stance has kept the county well within the limits of the law.
“I appreciate that,” she said. “Some attorneys like pushing the limits and toeing the line and flirting with disaster. [McCormack] is extremely conservative and I think that’s been a real benefit.”
Bennett and Smith said there have been improvements in McCormack’s performance and that they felt feedback provided in the past was taken to heart.
Commissioners also unanimously voted in favor of allowing county employees to carry over up to 80 hours of unused vacation time into the next calendar year after Hurricane Matthew and the ensuing relief effort wreaked havoc on plans.
Wanchick said some employees had to cancel their vacation plans in the immediate aftermath of the storm and that there is now an ever-shrinking window for them to take their time off before the end of the year.
Additionally, commissioners voted to extend the county’s declaration of a local state of emergency originally declared prior to Matthew’s arrival and renewed in five subsequent meetings. The proclamation, which can only be renewed in seven-day increments, allows the county to continue accessing state and federal assistance.
“I can’t sit here today and say nothing will pop up tomorrow,” Wanchick told commissioners, adding there are at least two major recovery efforts that can still benefit from abilities to facilitate and expedite certain processes under the declaration.
Wanchick said there was a need to continue issuance of temporary armory permits and other building permits at an accelerated rate. An opportunity has also emerged to secure some funding assistance for a dredging project in the Treasure Beach canals if there is a proven impact from the storm. He said that would likely require some expedited engineering work.
Tuesday’s meeting was the last for Bennett and Commissioner Bill McClure, neither of whom ran for re-election.
“It has been a privilege and an honor,” Bennett said.
McClure made lighthearted apologies to county staff and administration for being a “hard nose.”
“Sometimes I say ‘to-may-to’ and you guys say ‘to-mah-to,’ but I learn every time I come here,” he told fellow commissioners. “Even to this day I walk away from here learning stuff.”
Commissioners-elect Henry Dean and Paul Waldron will be formally sworn in at noon on Tuesday in a special meeting. They will serve in their full capacities starting with the regular meeting on Dec. 6.
Dean takes over for Bennett in District 5, which represents much of the St. Augustine area up to International Golf Parkway. Waldron takes over for McClure in District 3, which represents the southeast part of the county.
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