2011 Mesa County School District 51 Total Expenditures Released

Mesa County citizens have continued to hear that the Local Mesa County School District 51 needs more money yet they never give accurate information on how much per pupil they actually receive.  The Daily Sentinel will have you believe that the school budget is tight and the State keeps reducing their funding and programs cut and teachers are losing jobs, etc., etc.  Ironic when you look at Total Expenditures to the District they continue to rise each and every year. 

The 2010-2011 Total Expenditures were recently released from the Colorado Department of Education which show for 21,025.2 pupils $209,912,512.00 was allocated to the District or better put $9984.00 per pupil!  Compared to the previous year of $9587.00 per pupil this is the biggest increase per pupil over the past several years! $397.00 per pupil or $8,612,136.00 increase from last year to be exact and the highest ever total expenditures in the District and somehow this wasn't enough! 

The Smoke & Mirrors campaign is still full steam ahead and the continued shame being placed on the local Mesa County citizens will continue because you failed to pass and agree to more taxes and fees without any financial accountability.  See VetTheGov's previous story on why Voting NO on 3B was your only way of holding the Big Government tax and fee robbers at bay! 

VetTheGov will also continue to keep an eye on increased and new fees as they will use 3B as an excuse to continue to find more ways of revenue collection with scare tactics!  Stay Tuned and Thanks for visiting VetTheGov! 

Maybe this is Why Mesa County employee turnover is High and Moral low!

In a recent story in the Grand Junction Sentinel regarding Mesa County turnover rates, VetTheGov dug in a little deeper as to the more likely reasons. Could it be that County workers are seeing positions removed in order for the elite few to receive raises??? Let's take a look!

VetTheGov has highlighted some positions located on page one of the 2010 & 2011 annual salaries posted on Mesa County's website.

Starting with the elected County Commissioners pay you will notice two of the three received raises from the $72,500 up to $76,600 & $76,700. only one Commissioner in 2011 received the usual $72,500 annual salary.

The next thing that jumps off the page is the position of Deputy Assessor-Administration pay in 2010 was $80,775.95 and dropped all the way to $71,118.37. Could this be why the next highlighted position below that one is Director of Financial Services which saw their salary INCREASE from $102,745.92 in 2010 up to $107,371.93??? As you continue through the entire salary structure of the County you find a very interesting trend of some winners and many losers on the pay scale freeze or even salary reductions. It just depends on the position you hold. Of course VetTheGov focused on all the director positions for the County and are broken down for your convenience.

Mesa County Director Position Salaries 2010 - 2011

• Financial Services   $102,745.92 in 2010; raised to $107,371.93 in 2011
• Public Works  $129,549.68 in 2010; raised to $139,871.06 in 2011
• Director-CJSD  $102,541.68 in 2010; lowered to $99,450.12 in 2011
• MV & Recording   $90,017.24 in 2010; lowered to $69,529.80 in 2011
• Land Use & Dev   $90,017.24 in 2010; lowered to $87,732.84 in 2011
• Environmental Health   $90,618.05 in 2010; lowered  to $89,427.00 in 2011
• Prevention & ED  $58,368.68 in 2010; raised to $60,732.00 in 2011
• Long Range Planning   $90,660.44 in 2010; lowered to $88,148.64 in 2011
• Dept. Health Services   $99,983.12 in 2010; raised to $106,183.38 in 2011
• Waste management   $72,375.18 in 2010; raised to $82,716.12 in 2011
• Assit. to Public Works Dir.   $62,347.37 in 2010; lowered to $59,645.04 in 2011
• Dev. Engineer   $91,646.90 in 2010; raised to $96,176.76 in 2011
• Health Prep   $82,850.77 in 2010; raised to $89,684.76 in 2011
• Planning   $115,122.88 in 2010; lowered to $87,732.84 in 2011
• Health Dept.   $86,391.99 in 2010; raised to $101,976.10 in 2011
• Elections   $45,600.00 in 2010; kept at $45,600.00 in 2011
• Animal Services   $67,893.06 in 2010; raised to $77,070.96 in 2011
• Engineering Div.   $103,240.09 in 2010 lowered to $100,542.84 in 2011
• Div. Director-CJSD   $91,661.77 in 2010; lowered to $88,676.64 in 2011
• AAA  $58,471.87 in 2010; lowered to $57,093.99 in 2011
• Public Relations   $65,989.77 in 2010; lowered to $107,371.93 in 2011
• Clinical Services   $28,292.51 in 2010; raised to $88,065.04 in 2011
• Family & Children   $85,162.88 in 2010; lowered to $67,905.16 in 2011
• Health Admin. Svcs $86,391.99 in 2010; raised to $92,321.04 in 2011
• Div. Dir.-CJSD  $94,114.66 in 2010; lowered to $89,201.89 in 2011
• SS & EMP   $71,104.46 in 2010; lowered to $69,300.00 in 2011
• Workforce Center   $87,562.88 in 2010; raised to $93,783.80 in 2011
• County Attorney   $122,111.22 in 2010; lowered to $112,561.60 in 2011
• IT Manager   $88,276.25 in 2010; raised to $92,227.33 in 2011

District Attorney's Office/Law Enforcement Directors

• District Attorney   $149,215.56 in 2010; raised to $164,522.60 in 2011
• Assit. DA   $136,251.24 in 2010; raised to $140,875.68 in 2011
• Chief Deputy DA  $114,688.44 in 2010; raised to $116,204.90 in 2011
• Senior Trial DA   $66,246.96 in 2010; raised to $71,931.98 in 2011
• Sheriff   $87,900.08 in 2010; lowered to $87,700.08 in 2011
• Chief Deputy Undersheriff   $107,911.12 in 2010; lowered to $106,293.84 in 2011
• Division Commander   $102,542.47 in 2010; raised to $104,948.04 in 2011

All the above Salaries do not include the additional 25% in benefits received by County employees.

The biggest question that needs answered to the taxpayers of Mesa County is when the media reports no raises for Three years in a row during the economic downturn and over 19.5% unemployment locally, why do we see so many increases in certain Director's pay and yet in lower positions we see salaries cut drastically or positions removed??? Maybe just maybe this is the reason for the high turnover and low moral in many departments.

Another question needing answers are how can this model of government continue to be funded and supported??? VetTheGov believes attrition will continue within the agency especially when the higher salaried positions begin having to take more hits to their pay and benefits! What do you think???

Stay tuned to VetTheGov as the County budget for 2012 will be compared to last years budget!