file photo by Boyd Loving
Dear Mayor Aronsohn,
I feel the need for further clarification about a matter that I brought upWednesday evening.
When an elected official asks a question of the Village Manager regarding Village business, I think that a civil reply is appropriate. Councilman Sedon’s question about a possible reduction in the salary of the Village Manager, in order to compensate for the reduction in her job responsibilities, was on the mind of others. It seemed a logical question. Ms. Sonenfeld’s reprimand of Mr. Sedon, along with her comment that her salary is already as bottom as it can go, seemed completely inappropriate. I think with the current push for increased civility in public venues, Ms. Sonenfeld should be reminded that she works for The Village, and when one of her “bosses” (ie, an elected Councilmember) asks a question, a straightforward reply is in order.
Besides the tone of her reply, I also have a problem with the content of her comments. Let’s be reasonable here. A new position has been created to the tune of “six figures.” The responsibilities of this new hire used to be handled by The Village Manager. I think the suggestion that the increased expense might be offset by taking at least some money from The Village Manager’s salary was worth considering. Moreover, her public declaration that her salary is already rock bottom is very offensive. Ms. Sonenfeld has been on the job for just over a year. The salary that she is paid is what she agreed to; no one forced her to take the job or the salary. For her to now publicly complain that it is so low, so soon after she came on board, and especially when some of her responsibilities have been delegated to the new Human Resources person, seems quite inappropriate. You, Paul, were very outspoken about the salary, and salary increase, of the former manager. Well, now you have a manager who is publicly stating that her salary is low even while she is hiring more help.
I would sincerely appreciate your response on this – both the civility matter, as well as the payroll matter.
Thank you,
Anne LaGrange Loving
