ALLIANCE ‒ After weeks of discussions, City Council on May 4 shot down a “generous” boost in pay for department heads.
The decision left Mayor Andy Grove frustrated and muttering under his breath at his table during the board’s meeting. He supported the raises.
Grove said the contract proposal with the bargaining unit for supervisors, Federation of United Employees, was fair and negotiated in “good faith.” He said the decision impacts morale.
However, a majority of council members saw it differently. They rejected the contract by a 4-3 vote.
Leading the opposition was Councilman Ed Lohnes, chairman of the Finance Committee. He said the raises were too high − a stance he has maintained since March 16.
Councilmembers Kris Bugara, Sheila Cherry, Jennifer Kiko and Lohnes voted no. Yes votes came from Councilmembers Jim Edwards, Philip Mastroianni and Cindy King.
Negotiators will have to try again to find an agreement.
Lohnes explains his position; Grove makes claims
Lohnes said a majority of council was frustrated with the contract because the terms “misrepresent the true costs of the contracts” that Grove and former Safety-Service Director Mike Dreger negotiated.
He said the administration claims the increases would have 2%, 3% and 3% over the next three years. Not true, he said.
Lohnes said the increases were “a minimum of 6-3-3,” over the next three years − with the first year increase ranging between 6% and 22% compared to last year’s wages. That was in addition to pay increases ranging between 6% and 18% for four other contracts with city employees.
“These were the most generous pay raises in city history,” Lohnes said.
In particular, the proposed raise for Dreger, who moved into a new role as director of utilities, was closely scrutinized by Lohnes and others. Lohnes said Dreger’s pay would have increased from $98,340 to $111,392 under the contract proposal with less responsibility.
“These types of increases have put the City and the taxpayers into a perilous position. Our only choice is vote yes or no, because we aren’t involved in making these agreements. The people of Alliance should prepare for higher water bills in the future,” Lohnes said in a May 6 email.
In a May 5 email, Grove accused Lohnes of obstructing and undermining his administration, and delaying a vote on the contract for almost two months. He said the decision to delay and then reject the contract has impacted morale and created an unstable work environment. He also called it “political posture” by Lohnes.
Lohnes ran for the Republican nomination for the 49th Ohio House in the May 5 primary. Christina Hagan won the race.
“He turned his back on city employees again,” Grove said, with, “false contract financial figures to hide the fact that he does not want Mike Dreger to obtain a water safety service fee that he is entitled to.”
Lohnes, in response, said: “If Mayor Grove thinks being fiscally responsible and denying a 22% increase is obstructing him, then that is something we can agree upon. This contract was denied by a majority of council but he seems focused only on me.”
Grove: The city is in great financial shape
Grove said the city’s finances are in the best shape in decades and it could afford the contract raises.
Cherry said there was no guarantee the future will remain bright financially, harkening back to recent history as a cautionary tale. The city spent six years − 2018 to 2024 − on fiscal watch with the Ohio auditor after it missed a deadline to fix a budget issue.
The city was removed from state oversight in December 2024, after it successfully repaired its finances.
“What did we do to get here?” Cherry asked. “We were disciplined.”
Grove said his administration has not forgotten the journey but he felt the department heads had earned the increases.
Lohnes initially wanted to modify the contract language to make it more acceptable for him but Law Director Andrew Selwa advised against it. Selwa said councilmembers were not part of the negotiations and cannot alter the language. They can only approve or reject the contract.
“Apparently (Mayor Grove) does not appreciate being questioned or when the true costs are brought up in public,” Lohnes said in his email.
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Alliance City Council rejects ‘most generous pay raises’ contract
Reporting by Benjamin Duer, Canton Repository / The Repository
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