Mr. Vernon Azevedo recieved a 58% pay increase, now makes about 170,000 a year... in a SMALL town like Winchester... He received a $30 an HOUR raise, now making over $80 an hour, when most people ion Winchester make less than $10! They can't afford to give other WMU employees raises (I heard they only get a 3% one at that) but they can afford to give him a $30 one!
This is the article in the paper about it:
The Winchester Municipal Utilities Commission failed to follow proper procedure when approving a large pay increase for the utility's general manager last year. But, commissioners have taken corrective action in the last two weeks.
According to a WMU document, all five voting members of the commission signed off on a new salary for WMU General Manager Vernon Azevedo in September, increasing his pay close to 58 percent. The move elevated Azevedo's hourly rate from $51.75 to $81.73.
Commissioners individually authorized the change between Sept. 16 and Sept. 22, according to dates on the document. The commission's two non-voting members, Mayor Ed Burtner and City Commissioner Shannon Cox, were not informed of the decision at the time.
Since then, some officials have criticized WMU for not discussing the matter in open session. On Wednesday, WMU counsel John Rompf said utility officials considered those concerns and decided the pay increase should have been voted on during an open meeting after a further review of code governing public utilities.
It's questionable how it was done, and after reviewing the matter with other counsel, I formed the opinion we needed to address the issue again and needed to address it in open session, Rompf said.
In response, the commission voted last week to ratify the past salary payments from Oct. 1 to May 12. The commission also voted 3-1 on Wednesday to maintain the new pay moving forward. Commissioner William Baker opposed the move, and Commissioner Hap Cox was absent.
According to Section 14-52 of the city's code of ordinances, the utilities commission shall have authority to employ, fix the compensation of and discharge a manager for the combined and consolidated garbage disposal, waterworks and sewer system, or a single manager for each separate utility of the combined and consolidated system.
Rompf said for the last 15 years the general manager's salary has been set by the WMU commission chairman after an annual review. Officials believed the action only required common consent between commissioners and made no deliberate attempt to conceal the new salary, Rompf said.
It was an oversight based upon following a precedent that had been done here for 15 years, he said. Honestly we bend over backwards to be open here.
In an interview this morning, Mayor Ed Burtner said the existing ordinance would have required that WMU commissioners vote on the original salary change in open session. He said he first learned of the matter May 1.
At that point I made the determination that this matter needed to be addressed in open session because that's what the ordinance provides, he said. I think the utility commission was obligated under city ordinances to take the action in open session with the press present and the public present.
Still, the Winchester Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to its ordinance governing public utilities on Tuesday. The amendment stipulates that action on the compensation for any WMU employee must comply with state open meetings laws.
Burtner said he had no opinion on whether WMU officials deliberately tried to conceal the matter.
However, City Commissioner Dennis Wallace commented this morning that WMU officials betrayed Burtner and Cox with the action as well as the city commission and public.
I think it was the most despicable thing I ever saw, he said. I think it was absolutely appalling. When the citizens of Winchester get ready to pay their water bill, they need to ask to see (Azevedo) so they can see what somebody looks like that got a $30 on-the-hour raise.
When the new salary was originally authorized in September, Dexter Noble was serving as chairman of the WMU Commission. Commissioners William Baker and Mike Anderson had not yet been appointed.
The Sun was unable to contact Noble this morning to discuss reasons behind the increase. The Sun also unsuccessfully attempted to contact the commission's new chairman, Doug Oliver, along with Azevedo and commissioner Margaret Seals this morning.
But Rompf stressed that officials had no intention to suppress the matter.
There was no intention to leave anybody out, he said. I wouldn't have had them go back and re-vote on it and ratify it if I didn't think it should be done in the public.
Contact Mike Wynn at [email protected].
They are wanting to raise our rates all the while this guy is sitting pretty with his company paid car, insurnce and soon to be retirement (all paid for by the great Clark County citizens and citizens of Kentucky!
Here is another link with more info!
Http://www.topix.com/forum/city/winchester-ky/TTS11K81GGNI1HR7I
http://www.topix.com/city/winchester-ky/05/doug-oliver-to-lead-wmu-commission
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