Looking More Closely At Harry Jones' "Pay Cut"
Spin. Some politicians have turned it into an art form. But don't you wish Charlotte-Mecklenburg County commissioners could give it to you straight when they talk about how much you're paying County Manager Harry Jones?
Commissioners voted unanimously to change their approach to Jones' compensation Tuesday night. But the message taxpayers might have taken away isn't the whole story.
Commissioners emphasized that they were eliminating Jones' bonus. And they emphasized that his total compensation would drop 6.6 percent - a decline, Democratic commissioner Dumont Clarke said, that "would exceed the reductions of most other county employees."
A deeper look suggests something less sacrificial.
Jones' total compensation coming in to 2009-10 was $264,454, plus whatever "at-risk" pay, if any, commissioners would award him. His total compensation for next year will be $283,011, with no eligibility for a bonus. So in a year when Jones and commissioners are cutting millions from schools, parks, libraries and other areas, Jones' total compensation before "at-risk" pay is rising $18,557, or 7 percent.
Jones, in essence, traded "at-risk" pay, which could be up to 30 percent of his base pay but could also be zero, for an additional $18,557 that is not at-risk, but guaranteed.
In other words, the only reason county commissioners can say that Jones is taking a 6.6 percent pay cut for next year is because they awarded him a lavish $38,400 bonus amid severe budget cuts to county services and when one of his largest departments, the Department of Social Services, was marred by financial mismanagement. He should not have gotten that bonus. And if he had not, the commissioners' actions Tuesday would be considered a raise, not a cut.
More than half of the 6.6 percent drop in his compensation stems from the elimination of his 401(k) match, which simply means that he will play under the same rules as every other county employee, who will see their 401(k) matches vaporized as well.
Democratic commissioner Dan Murrey said it was ironic that Jones was taking a $20,000 cut "in probably the toughest year you've had to do your job." What's ironic, or just disingenuous, is that Jones could be made out to be sacrificing when the compensation he's guaranteed to get is shooting up while that of other county employees is going down.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Leaders Eliminates Harry Jones' Bonus, Wink! Wink!
Charlotte-Mecklenburg County commissioners agreed Tuesday to change the way they pay County Manager Harry Jones, including eliminating performance bonuses from future compensation packages.
Under his previous contract, Jones had been eligible for a performance bonus of up to 30 percent of his base pay.
He has been criticized often in the past year for a $38,400 bonus that commissioners approved last year amid budget cuts to county services and other agencies.
In lieu of a bonus - which commissioners also have called "at-risk" pay the past two years - Jones' base salary could change each year based on the "prevailing market rate" for his position.
For the year that begins July 1, Jones' base pay will increase to $242,500 from the $215,655 he received this year.
But his total compensation will go down about 6.6percent compared to the current year, dropping to $283,011. Commissioner Dumont Clarke said the decline "would exceed the reductions of most other county employees."
In addition, Clarke said Jones also will receive no match to his 401(k) plan, mirroring a hit taken by other county employees.
Several commissioners noted that Jones had requested that his compensation be reduced this year. Dan Murrey said the change was "by no means an indication of our assessment of (Jones') performance."
He said it was ironic that the manager had seen no change in his salary the past two years, but is now taking a $20,000 cut in his compensation "in probably the toughest year you've had to do your job."
Charlotte Leaders Pay $2M For Park At Harry Jones' Church (Vote Buying Scheme)
Folks if this isn't an example of a Charlotte, NC Vote Buying Scheme (Black voters) I don't know what is.
Check out the detailed article from WCNC below.
What a shame!
Remember this example of Public Corruption when you visit the polls in 2011 and 2012. Vote Jennifer Roberts out of office!
Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Leaders Spend $2M In Tax Money For Park On Harry Jones' Church Land (Vote Buying Scheme)
At a time when Mecklenburg County is forced to cut almost 200 jobs from its Park and Recreation Department, the county budget sets aside $60,000 to plan a park that it cannot afford to build.
The NewsChannel 36 I-Team found Mecklenburg County set aside $2 million in a one-of-a-kind deal to build the park on property owned by a church, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Beatties Ford Road.
Few debate that the county could use more ball fields along Beatties Ford Road. But some fiscal conservatives have questioned how the church won the one-of-a-kind deal and why it is still funded in a time of sharp cutbacks.
Former Charlotte City Councilman Don Reid is one.
"I don't know how we can invest taxpayer money on a piece of property owned by a church," said Reid, who calls the process used to award the park "a good ole boy network again."
But Reid's so-called "good ole boy" network included an up-and-coming woman -- Mary E. Wilson.
Since the summer of 2008 Wilson has served as the director of Mecklenburg County's Department of Social Services. And the I-Team has raised questions about Wilson mixing state funds with her church -- Friendship Missionary Baptist.
In December 2008, Wilson spent $20,000 of public funds on caterers, entertainment and door prizes for a holiday party for all 1,200 DSS staff held at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. When questioned, a DSS spokeswoman said the county did not pay for the use of the church facility. She said it had been paid for by an anonymous donor.
But before her county job, Wilson earned more than $86,000 a year as the executive director of Friendship's Community Development Corporation.
And as executive director in 2006 she helped the church pitch its park plan to the county's Park and Recreation Commission. But in the summer of 2006, Wilson joined the very same Park and Rec Commission.
"Connect the dots," said Reid. "Friendship Baptist Church. Mary Wilson. Mary Wilson goes to the park board and the board then decides to fund the church's project."
Wilson abstained from voting on the Friendship Sportsplex and did not participate in discussion at the board meeting where the board approved the park. Experts in state conflict of interest law at the UNC School of Government tell the I-Team that Wilson apparently did not violate any rule or law.
"Personally, I wouldn't allow that to happen," said Park Director Jim Garges, who joined the department after the Friendship Park had passed the board but before it passed the County Commission. "There wasn't anything she (Wilson) did or anything I was aware of I would consider a conflict of interest."
But e-mails obtained by the I-Team show Wilson advocated for the park in March 2008 when it was pending before the County Commission.
When Park Commissioner Brad Pearce e-mailed staff that he was frustrated with the lack of information about the Friendship park, a project which he supported, it was Wilson who responded in less than an hour.
"Let's be reasonable and work together," Wilson wrote. "I am sensing a less than positive partnership tone."
While they may have had their differences on the way the park was handled, Pearce now says he believes Wilson handled her conflict of interest appropriately.
"Certainly no one at the church ever contacted me and asked for special treatment," Pearce said.
The I-Team tried to reach Wilson last week and this week through a county spokesman and by leaving a message on her cell phone. She did not return repeated calls.
But in a church with thousands of members, Wilson was not the only one with political clout.
County General Manager Bobbie Shields, who oversees the Park and Recreation Department, is also a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.
But County Manager Harry Jones tells the I-Team that Shields turned over all control of the park awards to another general manager, John McGillicuddy. And Garges and Pearce both say Shields had no impact on the decision to locate the park at the church.
"Bobbie Shields had no influence over that decision," said Pearce.
"And, if anything, particularly with Bobbie, he went the other way -- 'Don't show me. Don't tell me. I don't want to know anything about it,'" said Garges.
(Some viewers have written that Harry Jones is also a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church but Jones told the I-Team he is not a member of the church.)
Under the terms of the lease agreement between Mecklenburg County and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, the county leases the land for 40 years for the sum of $1, with the county retaining the right to renew the lease for another 40 years. The county agrees to build ball fields on the property. And the church gets first dibs on selling any concessions at no cost, keeping all the proceeds.
Most county parks sit on county land. Here and there Mecklenburg County has a boat ramp on Duke Energy property. The county once placed a track on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University. But for the most part, county planners envision putting parks on public land.
And when voters OK'd a public bond issue for parks in 2004, the Park and Recreation Commission anticipated allocating $8 million for joint public-private partnerships, but that the parks would be placed on county land.
In the case of two of the three winning projects, for the towns of Huntersville and Matthews, the parks went on public land. But in the case of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, the county entered into a unique lease.
Garges says Friendship was chosen because it had land available for a park and "If anybody else wants a park, give us a call."
But the county doesn't even have the money to build the Friendship Park, let alone take on new parks.
In a time of budget cutbacks, cutting about four out of every 10 park and rec employees, the new county budget contains a capital expense of $60,000 for this year and next to plan for the Friendship park, even though the county does not have the money to build it.
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Sources: Charmeck.org, McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Google Maps
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