You can envy Joe's raise, but don't resent it

Sunday, Jul 13, 2008 - 07:33:07 pm CDT

Last Monday evening, the Columbus City Council voted 5-3 to increase City Administrator Joseph Mangiamelli’s salary from $89,892 to $97,083 -- an 8 percent boost.

Councilmen Joe Jarecke, Ron Bogus, Jim Bulkley, Ron Schilling and John Lohr voted for the increase. Charlie Bahr, Joe Held and Chuck Whitney voted against the increase.

Apparently concerned about the approach news coverage might take, Mangiamelli early Tuesday morning provided unsolicited figures via e-mail noting the “hourly” salaries for some city administrators, including: Columbus, $43.22; Beatrice, $60.10; Fremont, $53.94; Grand Island, $52.70; Hastings, $51.47; Kearney, $63.46; Norfolk, $53.85; and North Platte, $54.82.

The e-mail noted that Columbus was at the bottom, 24 percent below the average of $55.76.

We’re guessing that not many people reading this earn $55 an hour ... $114,400 per year.

But we are willing to say that, in general, people who earn a salary at that level probably are worth the money. In these days of staff reductions, takeovers and consolidations, a nonperforming worker earning more than $100,000 probably would find it difficult to stay under the radar.

Ask yourself these questions:

-- Are you responsible for managing a budget in the neighborhood of $50 million?

-- Are you responsible for the performance and conduct of more than 150 employees?

-- Do people call you at all hours of the day and night or stop you on the street with questions and puzzles that even Solomon couldn’t solve?

-- Did you play a key role in steering a critical vote to a positive outcome on an issue that was unresolved for 80 years?

n Do you answer to seven bosses?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then you deserve $97,000 a year ... or more.

Does an 8 percent salary increase seem out of line with what most of us have received in recent years and expect in the year ahead? No doubt.

But you are missing a key factor in the angst that some councilmen and citizens are suffering today. Back in 2005, Mangiamelli was hired for $80,000, only $5,000 more than the minimum salary allotted to the position.

Mangiamelli was not a bright young kid with a city planning degree and a year or two of experience in his back pocket. He was an experienced (retired actually) municipal employee of Nebraska’s largest city.

He should have been brought in closer to the top of the range, which is $105,000.

At the time, some talk was floated that the $25,000 being saved would help offset severance pay owed to the former administrator who had negotiated a nice severance package when he was hired. (Mangiamelli does not have such a sweet severance setup, a lesson learned by the current mayor and council.)

Bottom line: Mangiamelli is worth what we are paying him and probably a little more.

Although some might envy his pay, no one should resent it.

Leave a Comment

All posts are subject to our Terms and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
   
Realist
Jul 14, 2008 7:38 AM
Even though majority may answer "No" to your questions, the bottom line is that he wanted and recieved the job. You can not tell me that he did not do his homework about this job and what he was getting into. As I have said before, this town is going down in quality and he was coming into an uphill battle. The actual loss of businesses (except the plethera of dollar generals and others stores not needed)and not being able to help with the sucess. You can do all you can to manage a budget and answer to as many bosses and you can, but it is about the fact that he is doing no better than the previous guy. In the position that Mangamelli is in, he knew that he would get phone calls everyday, everynight, when on the streets, etc. So, for that increase, you would also say that teachers, coaches, and others like that deserve a income like Mangamelli. You either must be related to him or are helping him make a bid for future mayor of Columbus. Mr Held and the others simply see that he is not worth the raise. I believe that if it was less than five percent, it would be ok. I am sure that I will get ridiculed for my comments and told that I never attend meetings and whatnot, but the truth is, I know many of people on here who will comment on me and (I miss maybe less than one handful of city meetings and other things like that)all I can say is attend the meetings.
Sandy
Jul 15, 2008 3:50 PM
The City Administrator is a job that I wouldn't want, kind of a now win position if you ask me! But, with that said, an 8% raise??? Everytime this city turns around they are doing something that is going to help to raise our property taxes!!! As for steering the "80 year unresolved issue", I think the solution came more as a result of people just sick and tired of hearing about it every few years, and realizing one of these days the state was going to tell Columbus to take a hike on the subject than that they wanted the viaducts where they are putting them. Just wait until the subject of the 23rd Avenue viaduct comes up!!! If he can "steer" that one through, then maybe he is worth it!!!
phreakwars
Jul 17, 2008 12:49 AM
I don't think the issue is so much him getting a raise or how much, but why. Why not other city departments? His 8% probably could have been divided by 2% among 4 more worthy people. My point being, why vote on raises for the top of the chain if the bottom links could use it more? I wanna know whose idea it was to get together with someone else and go... gee.. with all the rising expenditures and taxes and what have you that keep Columbus going, lets spend that money on giving someone else more money. You can boast how he is responsible for $150 million dollars of our money, then if he wanted to prove his worth, he'd show he has a plan for giving some of that back into city resources, not finding a raise for himself within the budget.
paulcan
Jul 17, 2008 3:23 PM
phreak, is that how you prove your worth to the Gambino's owners? I Doubt it. Admit it, no one works that way. The falacy in your argument is that the bottom of the chain can always "use it more"
phreakwars
Jul 18, 2008 3:02 AM
To Paulcan: Oh sure, go ahead and do something stupid and make my job a diversionary topic. As far as I give a damn, I could find another job that paid better and have better benefits. I get paid crap but could really give a shnizzle., so please don't start the "Phreakwars is the manager of Gambino's, and his real name is Eric Clark", let's divert to his job as an example because I have nothing to offer to the topic." BS. It get's pretty old. The Bottom line is: Upper Management is taking advatage of their position to give them self a raise. Didn't he just have a raise last year? Like 6% or something? It's complete BS. And damn obvious. O.K. So Mayor Moser called me the other day. He explained to me the reasoning of the pictures with the cheetos out at the canal. OK, fine, I can accept his answer, but hey, it doesn't mean the city admin deserved any type of raise. How about the retirement funds of other city employee's? So ya, maybe Joe was hired on, under the low end of the scale, it doesn't mean he should be first in line for a raise. Especially when his income is already withing the 80k+ range. I know I wouldn't sacrifice my own pay (which is higher then everyone else's already) to deny someone else an increase in pay. Bottom line: Mangeimelli did NOT deserve a pay increase for any reason what so ever, and any extra money that was available that went towards his increase should have been given back to the various departments in the city for supplies or wage increases.
paulcan
Jul 18, 2008 8:49 AM
Phreak, its no diversion. You said it..do I need to repeat it? "...if he (Mangiamelli) wanted to prove his worth, he'd show he has a plan for giving some of that back into city resources, not finding a raise for himself within the budget." My point is...Do managers have to do that to justify a salary increase? The answer is simple. No. If I subscribed to that philosophy, I should expect nothing less from myself, and nor should you.

Do we know the salary increase came from a Joe M himself, or was it a reccomendation of the personal committee? You imply he gave himself that raise. I'd guess it was the other. I don't know, ask a councilman, I guess. Either way, they approved it.

Your job has nothing to do with it. I have no idea what you do at Gambinos. If the comment came from the Manager of BD Medical, instead of you, my response would be no different.

People gripe about their elected officials and thank God we have that right. But so few are willing to take their turn and serve the city. You've said yourself years back that you were going to run for city council. I keep waiting to see your name on a ballot, any ballot, but never do.
phreakwars
Jul 18, 2008 12:53 PM
To paulcan: Maybe you missed it where I said: I know I wouldn't sacrifice my own pay (which is higher then everyone else's already) to deny someone else an increase in pay. What can I say, I have ethics like that. As to your question about why you haven't seen my name on any ballots. Both of the council members in my ward voted AGAINST his pay increase. No reason to run against people who are doing a decent job already.
paulcan
Jul 18, 2008 2:24 PM
Phreak: Your comment seems to suggest some city employees may have been denied a pay increase because of Joe's raise. I highly doubt it. Public servants always get pay increases, if only for inflationary adjustments. Its us schmoe's in the private section who get our salaries frozen when times are tough.
phreakwars
Jul 19, 2008 2:36 PM
Oh really? He got a nice raise last year... who else in the city got one? He got an 8% this year... who else got one?
right here
Jul 19, 2008 5:34 PM
Phreak--From the Telegram, 2007 vs 2006 city employee salaries. Appears as though there were quite a few increases, (taking into account overtime paid to police and firefighters) not just
Mr. Mangamelli. I'm assuming that 2007-2008 would be somewhat the same.
http://www.columbustelegram.com/city_salary_lookup/
interesting and funny
Jul 19, 2008 10:07 PM
phreakwars: just as the city administrator knew what he was getting himself into, the other employees of the city knew what they were getting themselves into. They could have all applied for the job when it came open, why didn't they? You know as well as anyone with any sense that it's a very difficult job. He may have 7 bosses to answer to but the reality is he's watched by the whole population of Columbus. I'd venture to say you can't even make all the folks happy you work with and have less than 10% of the issues and a considerable less budget to manage where you work. Like most things, the worker with more desirable skills earns more money. If the job can be done by 50% of the population it probably doesn't pay as well as something that can be done by 5% of the population. That isn't even debatable my friend.
phreakwars
Jul 20, 2008 2:29 AM
Sure it's debateable. I'm not saying Joe didn't deserve a raise, I am saying he should be on the exact same scale as other city positions. That's only fair. I have nothing against the guy personally, but, to single out any position in the city for a raise is ludicrous. The city will gain more in the end by distributing it's wealth among the rest of the departments over rewarding certain departments. Maybe Joe comes with the experience of handling a big city, but Joe needs a reality check of what the smaller cities are all about, and that is co-operation. Money doesn't matter in Columbus, we have our messed up community of deviants that keep the city alive. To become a part of Columbus, our city admin needs to sacrifice himself to the city. He doesn't need more money to appreciate where he chooses to call his home. Maybe that's just my biased reasoning, but I have always believed you gain your greatest wealth by doing your part, no matter what it may be.

I find it absolutely hilarious that our own mayor could protest his tax valuation, which amounts to a good chunk of the city Admin's pay increase.

Silly man, the extra funding for his raise has to come from somewhere...

Now don't get me wrong, I like the mayor and would vote for him anytime... he has even called me a couple of times to chit chat...

But come on here, if the city has money to spare, give it back to the city. That is all I am saying.
class envy
Jul 20, 2008 9:39 AM
Socialist class envy reeling it's ugly head? Resent the rich or anyone who achieves more or makes more than I do? Ah, yes, let's give all our money to the government and let them do away with salaries and everyone will get a monthly stipend (all exactly the same). We'll all have free health insurance. Everyone will get a free car (green, of course). Monthly food ration. Monthly gas ration. And Al Gore will oversee the whole project. Comrades, let the revolution begin. Then you will no longer be able to come on here and complain because the Central State would not allow dissension in the great and glorious Union. Death to all capitalist pigs!

I really enjoy the whiners on here....HeeHeeHee
Great entertainment.
Times up
Jul 20, 2008 12:47 PM
Phreak is laying out a platform...could/should he be running for something or is his a Ralph Nader wannabe.