Money for salary increases found within city budget

Columbus officials won’t have to reallocate money to pay for higher salaries for two city department heads.

In the first meeting of the year, the new administration of Mayor Jim Lienhoop asked City Council to reallocate just over $21,000 to pay for higher salaries for Director of Administration and Community Development Mary Ferdon and Director of Public Works David Hayward. The top of the new salary ranges would put those Ferdon’s jobĀ $9,000 higher than her predecessor and Hayward’s job almost $8,400 a year higher.

But at last night’s meeting, Ferdon explained that the administration had found the funding within the existing budget and the reallocation would no longer be needed.

Mary Ferdon on ordinance

She asked the City Council to let the proposal die and the council chose to do so.

One audience member questioned Lienhoop about whether he planned to take a pay cut to offset the raises for the new department heads since they seemed to be taking on some of the mayor’s responsibilities. Lienhoop said he did not plan to work any less.