When a construction contract for a building is let there will be a truly competitive bidding process whereby multiple entities evaluate the task and propose a solution and a cost for that solution. The buyer has a true choice, and the contract is readily honered by both parties. Has competition or true choice ever happened with teacher contract talks? Not to my knowledge. With teacher unions it’s a “take it or go without” contract negotiation. No competition what so ever, and the school board ends up pushed to some pain level every negotiation. Often the contract is reached under duress, as if the union held a gun to the school board (and the public it represents.) If there were four or five teacher “unions” bidding for each school or district, now that would make for a fair analogy and be most interesting!

The fact that Wes Prater has reimbursed the county a substantial sum cited in the audit is also recent (and welcome) news.

I remain flabbergasted and disappointed that two sitting county commissioners have still failed to repay disbursements found not properly payable by the recent audit.

UNPAID
Barbara Bergman       1,875.33
Jessica Ping          5,002.68
Ken Schwartz          1,054.60
Conan Smith             591.39

PAID
Leah Gunn                25.00
Jeff Irwin              100.00
Kristin Judge            25.00
Mark Ouimet          14,385.88
Wes Prater            1,834.91
Rolland Sizemore Jr.     65.52

-
This issue was addressed by Tom Wieder during public commentary at the March 2, 2011 county board of commissioners meeting. Wieder – who had initially raised the issue in early October of 2010 – again called for commissioners who hadn’t yet paid to write their checks. (A full account of his remarks will be in an upcoming Chronicle report about the March 2 board meeting.)

One thing Jeff has apparently not done, however, and that is pay back per diem monies that a recent audit found were not properly payable. Thus far four commissioners have paid these back – Rolland Sizemore, Leah Gunn, Mark Ouimet, and Ms. Judge.

Admittedly, Mr. Irwin has only a negligible amount due and owing per the audit, however he remains one of six commissioners cited in the audit report who have not paid as of yet.

To continue the analogy, this would be like the cement contractor agreeing he was going to be paid a certain amount for pouring the concrete, and then his trucks break down, his wife divorces him and wants half of his business, and other maladies. so the employer feels sorry for him and agrees to have the town fund the cement contractor’s pension and pay for health care. He also encourages the cement contractor to retire earlier than the average worker; now the town funds this pension/health care for a longer period of time.

Some municipalities in Michigan are facing the tipping point where the the number of pension fund’s retirees exceeds active workers. Awareness and caution with mature pension plans (like the county’s) will diminish future problems that taxpayers (and my kids) will have to fund.

An interview with the county Retirement Commission and a review of past decisions may be timely.