source: siouxfalls.org, 2016-2017 salaries
I have been warning the citizens of Sioux Falls for over a year about these out of control corporate like raises for the managers and directors while the minions beg for crumbs (SFPD). This is what it is like when you run a city like a corporation, the big dogs get all the dog food and the little guy gets a joke of a COLA.
But let’s look past this, shouldn’t raises, whether you are in the public or private sector be based on performance? Let’s look at Mr. Turbak’s performance over the past year. While he has no control over tax revenue being down, he certainly hasn’t been very good at bringing in the expenses. He should have came out against the $25 million dollar city administration building, admitting himself it is more cost effective to lease then to own office buildings. He also should have been able to tell us how much the indoor pool would cost us (operational).
All Tracy has done to get his over 6% increase in pay is be a patsy for the mayor while ignoring his bosses (the citizens). Now that’s business acumen folks.
Disgusting. No shame. To much to pay for a finance director who can’t present a real bottom line and present it on time. Finance has doubled in size and city debt grown ten times what it was for Munson. Meanwhile, the population grew a mere 20% and tax revenue declined. If this is a corporation, it lacks leadership and would be bankrupt.
The Dept. Of Justice came into a city on the north side of Detroit yesterday. They’re resetting government and police. The same could happen here if Police walk off the job. They should. A full investigation and restoration is warranted. I suspect the big picture here could be worse than there.
Question. What exactly does a finance dept. do for a city the size of SF?
Exactly. And it’s not like the Audit department that I believe has a total of 3 staff members, I think Turbak has close to 20 people working under him.
Try 30.
If management employees are on a similar step system as represented employees (pretty common in the public sector), then based on those numbers, that salary adjustment is the equivalent of 3.0% step increase and an annual COLA of 3.0%.
Which is precisely what *any* member of the MEA/AFSCME bargaining unit would get.
Complain about his performance, if you’d like. But don’t insinuate that he’s getting something better than what Joe Sixpack is getting in the bargaining unit. Because that’s a lie.
kudo’s to mmm for running the city like a business. Big raises for managers, while the workers are told they are lucky to have a job.
Good timing to give a big bonus to the guy who says there is no extra coal for Tiny Tim’s stocking.
He is responsible for managing a nearly half-billion dollar budget. Seems like reasonable compensation to me. Maybe even a bargain. What kind of responsibility do you have Detroit?
Oh, yeah. Turback had to be struggling to get by on his previous $162,500. WTF! Who is determining these salaries??!!! Where does a salary at this level rank on the entire income scale continuum for all of the SF metro area? http://www.payscale.com shows Finance Director national salary range to be $58k – $157k, median $107k. http://www.glassdoor.com shows Director of Finance salary range to be $69k – $181k, median $130k. This is SFSD; Turbak is banging a JP Morgan Chase salary. Here’s a concept: TREES ONLY GROW SO TALL. Let a highly-compensated Great Plains municipal department head know that his salary will not get raises in perpetuity. A salary cap is reached, and the employee either stays happy with that . . . . or moves on to try to make more. Employees nationwide in the private sector face this every day. If Turbak doesn’t like it, let him quit. At his age, what garden spot can he relocate to and match or exceed $162.5k? I’d find it hard to believe the COSF couldn’t attract a savvy young MBA/MPA to start for that http://www.payscale.com median of $107k. That should be a very decent living here for a young family of dad, mom and 1 or 2 kids. Thousands of families here get by on a heck of a lot less.
His salary times 1.5%, what they are offering the others in the city, would be a $2437 increase in pay, not 11K. How did the poor, destitute city which is in such dire financial straits find the money for this!!? Furthermore, if the city is in such dire financial straits with no scraps to spare, why are they rewarding the Finance Director!?! What a joke.
The don….half billion? Not quite. But not for lack of trying. Not certain what the budget was in 2011 when turbak arrived, but has gone from $336,000 in 2012 to $471,000 in 2016, a 40% increase in just 4 years.
I know, 40% seems like a lot, but it pales in comparison to the 75% increase in expenditures for the finance department from 2013 to 2017. Going from 1.943 million to 3.407 million seems a tad high does it not don?
So while you portray turbak as cooking the half billion dollar books 24/7, the reality is he has 30 other employees doing that for him. 14 of those 30 are salaried, 1 at 120k plus, 5 in the 80k plus area, 5 in the 70k plus area, and finally, 3 others in the high 60’s arena. Having worked myself in a government atmosphere where there are as many management types as hourly foot soldiers, you can be rest assured 80% of the real number crunching is done by the hourly people.
Thats 336 million in ’12 to 471 million in ’16. Did not get all the intended zeros in the last post. But, a few million here, a few million there, no big deal. Right?
‘The Don’ must be Huether. He’s the only one in town who would make such a comment. No, 350 million is not a half billion dollar budget. However, the half billion plus debt is a reality.
It’s not hard to manage a 350 million budget when it’s all one check for bonds payment.
For every 100 SF residents Omaha has 225. Omaha has 40 people in finance for 4.1 million in expenditures. SF has 31 people for 3.4 mil in expenditures. Is this how you drain the swamp, mmm, in the fashion of your new hero, trump?
Warren – no worries. Yes, $471 million is nearly half a billion. Even in South Dakota.
A $ 173,000 a year? I think that is what some political leaders in this town would call a “Dream Job.” 😉
I really don’t have a problem paying our city employees good wages as long as they are doing their jobs. I, like most, want this town to be a first rate city. But I wish we lived in a city that plowed and swept its streets like we use to and fought and limited crime as well.
I am sorry, but spending a $100 on an Events Center ticket and $10 for a beer there isn’t good enough to get me to forget the days of low crime, swept streets, and plowed roads. That is where well paid employees come into hand. They are suppose to be helping to make this city better, or least maintain its high standards…… But they should not be using their time to merely placate or facilitate the bad policy choices of some of our political leaders in this town, however…..
Saw independent man Mike giving a tour to some people before the Eric Church concert … cowboy boots and all….the people he was showing sure looked bored.
Don, I said not quite. Care to address the real issues here? Didn’t think so.
When you pay someone to much it’s so they’ll be less than honest. There’s a reason Huether gave department heads huge increases but none for city employees. What’s disgusting is they sold out. You must live with yourself. Take your 173k. We know you barely work 30 hours a week, get 6 weeks vacation, full health care, and a golden retirement. In case you haven’t noticed, we (the people and your family) have more respect for drug dealers and pimps than we do you.
$173,181 looks like da mayor is paying Turbak $1.00 per resident of Sioux Falls. This must be why da Mayor and Turbak make such a big deal about the population numbers in the monthly reports? Our town’s population signs should actually have been 173,181?
Interesting analogy Bruce. If your analogy worked the same in Omaha, their finance director would be making $427,872 a year. But alas, the Omaha finance director makes less, considerably less, than turbak. Same for mayor salary difference. Same for director of public works. All the way down the line. Each resident of Omaha represents $1990 towards their 2017 budget of 850 million. Each resident of SF represents $2722 towards our $471 million dollar budget. Hmmmmm
Warren makes a strong and serious point. It’s apparent compensation here is out of control.
Here’s an idea. Get them to take a pay cut. All they have to do is the mannequin video until we can elect a new mayor to replace them.