City council feuds over pay increases

Martin lashes out at Mayor Stiehm during meeting

By Mia Simpson | Austin Daily Herald

Published Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Conversation at the close of a city council work session meeting Monday turned explosive when John Martin, 1st Ward council member, confronted Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm of saying one thing and doing another, though he didn’t identify what issue made him so upset.

“Are you planning to run for mayor next term?” Martin asked Stiehm as council members prepared to exit the work session conference room.

“I was thinking about it,” Stiehm replied.

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Martin retorted.

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” Stiehm said.

Martin then accused the mayor of not honoring statements that Stiehm had previously made by phone.

“(Expletive) you!” Martin said.

Stiehm asked Martin if he was having problems controlling himself, and told him that he would be outside in a few minutes.

“Is that a threat?” Martin asked. “Are you threatening me, cop?”

By phone later that night, Stiehm said he tried to speak to Martin as council members exited the City Hall parking lot, but couldn’t catch him.

“It’s nothing that I haven’t been called before,” Stiehm said.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Stiehm said. “If I can’t take that, I shouldn’t be mayor — I should be doing something else.”

Despite several messages, Martin did not return phone calls.

The mayor said he believed Martin was angry about an agreement they made about salary increases, in which he, Martin, council member at large Pete Christopherson and 1st Ward council member Jeff Austin agreed to limit raises to 3 percent a year for several staff members discussed Monday.

Raise recommendations varied for city attorney David Hoversten, director of administrative services Tom Dankert, human resources director Tricia Wiechmann and Police Chief Paul Philipp, ranging from 4 percent each year for Dankert to 3 percent annually for Hoversten for three-year contracts spanning from 2008 to 2010.

“If they’re doing a good job, and we went to give them the pat on the back, this is our opportunity to do that,” city administrator Jim Hurm said.

“I’m not saying that nobody deserved more because there are definitely people that put in 150 percent above and beyond,” Martin said. “But my fear is … what could the repercussions get when you give someone a 6 percent (raise) and give everyone else a 3 percent?”

Stiehm, who had no voting rights during the work session meeting, said he believed he and the three council members decided that Dankert was the one deserving of the extra 1 percent, which corroborated with statements made during the meeting.

“I will say that in my conversations with the council members that this was the one person we should go out of the norm,” Stiehm said.

The raise was recommended by a 4-3 margin, with Austin, Christopherson and Martin dissenting.

Hurm suggested a 3 percent annual increase for Wiechmann, plus several thousand dollars more each year, in order to put her at par with human resources directors statewide and to bridge the wage disparity between male and female HR positions.

“The fact is she is $10,000 down,” Hurm said.

Martin said he didn’t know whether Wiechmann’s qualifications matched those of other human resources directors, specifically citing the fact that she doesn’t possess a degree in the industry.

“I just don’t think that anything beyond a 3 percent raise is justifiable,” Martin said.

During phone conversations, Stiehm said he thought it was his obligation to bring up the “comp worth” issue, which refers to the gender gap, and he said when council members voted to recommend additional compensation for Wiechmann, he decided to advocate for a larger increase for Philipp as well. Martin was the only to vote against more than a 3 percent raise for the human resources director.

“I think (Philipp) showed a level of integrity above and beyond,” Stiehm said during the meeting.

Hurm and several others argued that Philipp deserved a 4 percent raise in 2008, and 3 percent additional for the following two years, because of the extra workload incurred by the temporary loss of Austin Police Capt. Curt Rude, who is facing drug and theft charges for allegedly taking prescription pills from the department evidence room last November.

A twist on that recommendation, which sought a 2008 bonus instead of 4 percent increase, failed on a vote of 4-3, with nays from 2nd Ward council member Dick Pacholl, Christopherson, Martin and Austin.

“(I want) a 3 percent increase across the board,” Martin said.

The council members then unanimously passed a 3 percent annual increase for Philipp. The same passed for Hoversten, though council members said they want to revisit the contract to further discuss health insurance policy and the hourly rate.

“I really think we should look at the contract completely,” Martin said.

Following the meeting, several council members refused to comment on the record about the incident.

Stiehm said he didn’t plan on seeking punitive action though the council.

“My worry is that he’ll start voting against things because he doesn’t like me,” Stiehm said.