Bessemer Township approves amended budget

By CHARITY SMITH

csmith@yourdailyglobe.com

Ramsay — Some residents of Bessemer Township complained at Monday’s annual meeting of the township board of trustees about a proposed increase of $3,000 to the deputy treasurer’s wage. The request by township treasurer Hope Tarnaski would have increased deputy treasure Corine Johnston’s pay to $3,600.

Residents voiced concerns with the increase. It was the first township meeting attended by members and residents in-person and via Zoom.

Resident Jean Verbos questioned the need for the increase, when the new accessor Melissa Prisbe, who starts on April 1 will be taking over some of the treasurer’s duties, such as printing and mailing tax bills.

“I do not know what Miss Prisbe is going to do. … I have not worked with her yet,” Tarnaski said. “There’s a lot to be done yet. A lot to be done as far as developing of Quickbooks and everything else. So my plan was to ask for that money to be appropriated to a salary. … It was based upon what we had encountered as collection and I thought was fair and appropriate to have someone in order to assist me. It’s a lot of work.”

According to Tarnaski, the city has appropriated $600 for the deputy in years past. She said that she has utilized the deputy “quite a bit” this year. Tarnaski said in order to be prudent with that department and run it like a business, she requested the increase in the salary for the deputy.

Verbos said that because the deputy was for Tarnaski’s convenience, the township should not have to pay for the deputy.

“So this deputy is for your convenience, then,” said Verbos. “I think that if (the deputy) is going to do all the work, than you should pay her out of your salary.”

“I’m not opposed to an increase, because $600 is not a lot of money and it’s been that way for a long time,” said Verbos. “I just think you ran for the position you should take the responsibility of going in their and doing that job. Not using your deputy as a convenience for you. ... I don’t think anybody in the world has ever got that kind of a raise.”

The board voted to amend the deputy treasurer’s salary to $1,000, making the increase $400.

The board also gave Tarnaski a $5,000 raise for a total salary of $20,000, decreased the supplies budget from $2,000 to $1,000, increased the assessor’s supply budget from $100 to $1,100, and removed the $50 budgeted for training for the assessor.