Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Michael Bornstein Employment Contract

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As far as I can tell, this is a standard three year contract negotiated by Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell. Maxwell has a thing against open ended contracts even though you can fire a city manager any time you want. We do that in Lake Worth.

1. Term: 3 years with a 2 year extension
2. 20 weeks severance (the law) for termination without cause plus all accrued vacation, sick or personal pay, all paid within 15 days of termination.
3. Salary: $135,000 a year with yearly review
4. Health insurance, dental and vision coverage
5. sick days: 12 a year
6. Vacation: 15 days a year
7. 10% of salary will be paid into a 401(k) on employee's behalf. Employee not entitled to participate in Defined Benefit Retirement Plan. Option to participate in the ICMA Retirement Corporation under certain conditions.
8. Life insurance premium of $1,000 paid by City. It does not mention the amount of coverage.
9. Professional dues and subscriptions
10. Travel and subsistence expenses to attend ICMA Annual conference, National League of Cities conference, Florida League of Cities conference and other reasonable professional travel and meetings.
11. Pay for bonding
12. If city manager is sued, the City will pay for all the necessary expenses even after is employ if suit is still pending.
13. Provide cell phone and service
14. $500 a month for automobile and reimbursed for mileage for any out of PB County travel on city business

Did the Vice Mayor pull the salary figure out of a hat considering Mr. Bornstein was making just under $100,000 a year in Lantana? Or are we to assume that Maxwell did some heavy negotiating especially as our former city manager (who he could not stand) made $150,000 a year? Or are we to assume that Stanton was more qualified and therefore deserved more salary? I am sure that we will hear it was the former and that this commission saved us $15,000 in salary and saved us the same amount by not hiring a head-hunter.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is my understanding that Mr. Bornstein’s Lantana salary is a result of taking salary decreases in each of the last 2 years. I believe it says a lot about his leadership by example style with respect to proposed Budgets in difficult times.
A significant difference between Commissioner Maxwell’s negotiated contract with Mr. Bornstein and Commissioner Golden’s negotiated contract with Ms. Stanton is that the Termination for Cause provision, including mismanagement and malfeasance, was reinstituted.

Lynn Anderson said...

Although worded a little differently, Stanton's contract said:
In the event Employee is terminated because of conduct unbecoming a public official, including but not limited to, criminal conduct or gross incompetence, the City shall have no obligation to pay the aggregate severance sum designated...

I am rather sure this was a legal suggestion to have Bornstein's contract specify the misfeasance, malfeasance and/or nonfeasance clause--in the "negotiation."

A teacher in PBC said...

Both 150K for Stanton and now this 135K for him is too much, why can't they earn under 100K, most professionals with degrees do not make this much, we can easily live on 70K a year, why do these people need to make so much? What do they do that is any more valuable? Personally I think teachers should make way more than city managers make.

Anonymous said...

I tend to agree with "a teacher" as we all have had to learn to do more with less. I make 40% less than 5 years ago. Instead of Stanton knocking back everybody's pay, she decided to fire 70 + employees while building over $2million salaried Finance Department that can't seem to make a financial statement readable.

Hopefully, Mr. Bornstein will carry on his tradition of fairness he displayed in Lantana.

Lynn Anderson said...

You can't cut employees pay when they are in the Union. Before you come over here and slam Stanton, please know the facts. Bornstein mentioned reducing salaries of top staff, not the general rank and file. Hopefully Mr. Bornstein will not be lead around by the nose by this commission--or you for that matter. :)

Anonymous said...

So which "top staff" did Stanton recommend a salary reduction in our financially urgent city?

It doesn't sound as though he needs to be led around by anyone. By his nose or any other body part.

Lynn Anderson said...

I don't know where all this hate comes from. Ms. Stanton reduced the budget by $4 million bucks. Take your personal vendetta somewhere else. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Why does this automatically turn to "hate". I don't hate anyone.

The thread was about Bornstein's contract being $135K vs Stanton's $150K. I think this is definitely in the right direction.

Even Triolo got in trouble when she didn't single out non-union employees when she campaigned on reducing salaries and meant top staff. Bornstein actually DID this.

You change the subject with the "reduced the budget" comment. She did this, partly, by firing city employees. Mainly low-level, maintenance, non-union employees. (70 to 90)

Mr. Bornstein apparently at least made an attempt to show that everyone must pitch in when times are hard. That was teacher's point. Stanton didn't do this.

If she had, even a small reduction, she'd probably still be working here. This is just an example of her arrogant attitude and why no one came to her defense, except you, the night she was fired.

It is not hate to point out that she declared a state of urgency in negotiating with the unions. But I was not the only one who saw the pain was only expected to be felt by the flog-ee. None by the flogger.

She was unstable, belligerent, rude, evasive and had her own agenda and I'm glad Mr. Bornstein will be our new CM. Hopefully, you'll come to know him as the new BCME. I just hope you give him more of a chance than you have the "visionaries" we elected.

I wish him the best of luck.

Lynn Anderson said...

The mis-statements continue.
There were 70 positions that were not funded BUT only 39 employees were terminated or asked to take early retirement.

Most of the top department heads are under contracts. You can't just arbitrarily ask them to cut their salaries by 10%. This reduction would be a small amount of savings overall...sort of like taxing the 1% more--a drop int he bucket. Everyone pitching in when times are tough is fine and that is why NO ONE GOT RAISES for years.

Even if she had personally taken a reduction in pay, it would not have saved her job from a plan that was int he works ever since Maxwell was elected. Why not admit the truth?

The only person abusive and rude here is YOU for constantly bringing saying that she was unstable. ARE YOU A FREAKING DOCTOR?????????????????????????????Go take an anti-nasty pill and chill.

P.S. There are plenty of people who agree that you are WRONG. Read the PB Post article.

Anonymous said...

The Visionaries continue to F*(k up. Perhaps now that they have hired Bornstein they can all calm down and do a decent job.