HEARTWELL CHANGES HIS TUNE

Last week Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell told the Local Officers Compensation Commission that he thought the mayor's position merited an $85,000 a year salary but emphasized that he was not personally seeking any increase in his compensation.  Earlier this week the compensation commission boosted the mayor's salary from $39,141 to $60,000 annually, huge raise of more than 50%.

Now we learn that Heartwell will not vote as a member of the City Commission to block his raise from going through.  The compensation commission's decisions are final unless the City Commission acts to veto them -- and a veto requires the support of a two-thirds supermajority.  So, Heartwell appears to have been disingenuous when he told the compensation commission that he did not want the raise for himself.  To get his new raise all Heartwell needs is the support of two other City Commissioners to stop the veto.

As it now stands four of the seven City Commissioners will vote to veto the mayor's raise.  One the commissioners, Roy Schmidt of the First Ward, has sided with Heartwell.  That leaves one commissioner as the pickle in the middle, Jim White of the Third Ward.  If White goes with the four already behind the veto, the pay raise for Heatwell is defeated.  If he goes with Heartwell and Schmidt, Heartwell gets his big raise.

So a classic showdown is sizing up for this vote when the City Commission meets next Tuesday.  Be sure to e-mail Commissioner White and let him know to veto the mayor's pay raise.  The City Charter calls for only a part-time mayor.  If Heartwell wants to make more of the job than that, that's OK, but not on our dime!