Mayor Bob Bratina

[markbarbera]

Equally truthful is that she was paid less than her two predecessors in her first year in the position.

Those who are committed (committable?) Bratina detractors will categorize this as a 30% pay raise, when in fact it is an adjustment to more accurately reflect the pay she should receive for the duties she performs. When I tweeted former mayor Larry DiIanni for his comment on how the new salary compares to the salaries of staff in previous mayors' offices, he tweeted back that he thought "the salary is very much in line", but added "It's the sudden jump that jolts". I tend to agree with that summary.

If we can set the record straight, DiIanni's chief of staff made roughly $105,000 in 2005, seven years prior to the year Chapman will be making $120,000, so, after adjusting for inflation, you can see how this is in line with what former staff were paid several years ago. As far as Eisenberger's chief of staff goes, he may have been under the 100K sunshine cut-off, but if memory serves, he also had additional salaried staff supporting that role, whereas Chapman is assuming all responsibilities on her own for Bratina.

When Bratina first came to office, he deliberately went lean with his staff in an effort to minimize his office budget. At the time, he was criticized by his detractors for under-staffing his office. Now, a year later, he is fine-tuning the staffing (while still maintaining a tight budget) and the detractors are up in arms over that.

[SteelTown]

Who gave mayor’s aide a $30,000 raise?

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...a-30-000-raise

The city’s human resources director says Mayor Bob Bratina triggered the $30,000 pay hike for his chief of staff, Peggy Chapman.

An email from HR director Helen Hale Tomasik circulated among councillors Wednesday says Bratina asked for the salary ranges of previous chiefs of staff, then boosted Chapman’s salary by 33 per cent. Her new salary is $120,000.

Bratina, on the other hand, says Chapman’s raise was instigated by the HR department after a performance evaluation.

“HR evaluates everything. I didn’t ask for it,” Bratina said at a Spectator editorial board meeting Wednesday. “It came from HR. They said ‘These are the amounts,’ and that’s how it came.”

Bratina, who said he’s still adjusting his office structure after his first year in office, said Chapman had been underpaid for the past year based on her workload and responsibilities.

“The citizens have got a $30,000 bonus,” he told The Spectator’s editorial board.

However, Bratina also sent an email to council less than two hours after leaving The Spectator meeting that aligns with Hale Tomasik’s version of events.

“The annual performance review of my staff included information on salary bands paid to former Chiefs of Staff which was provided by HR,” Bratina wrote in the email, which was obtained by The Spectator. “The result was that I adjusted the salary of the Chief of Staff to reflect the scope of responsibility within the role.”

Hale Tomasik’s email said the mayor’s office “approached HR and requested data on the salary ranges paid to prior Chiefs of Staff, which HR provided.”

“The Mayor reviewed the information provided by HR, reflected on the scope of her role being a combination of 3 roles in his predecessor’s office, and along with his evaluation of Peggy’s performance, determined the salary through her contract renewal negotiation and advised HR accordingly,” Hale Tomasik wrote.

Bratina declined to comment about the emails, saying it was an HR privacy issue.

[SteelTown]

Perhaps the Mayor's Office should look at obtaining a communications consultant?

[SteelTown]

The official reason council went behind closed doors is a "code of conduct issue." That code only applies to the mayor and council.

EmmaatTheSpec Councillors are having a closed-door session right now about Mayor Bob's treatment of his chief of staff's $30,000 raise.

http://twitter.com/intent/user?scree...=EmmaatTheSpec

[SteelTown]

Council calls special meeting over $30,000 raise

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...r-30-000-raise

Councillors spent two hours behind closed doors Thursday afternoon discussing Mayor Bob Bratina and his chief of staff's $30,000 raise.

Councillors wouldn't officially confirm the scope of their discussions, saying only that it was a "code of conduct" issue. That code applies only to the mayor and other elected council members.

A second in-camera meeting will be held Tuesday to continue these issues. The mayor did not attend today's meeting.

Bratina said his chief of staff, Peggy Chapman, received a $30,000 raise at the request of the city's human resources staff.

However, city staff say that wasn't the case and Bratina instigated the pay hike.

More to come…

[SteelTown]

Peggygate could get uglier

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...uld-get-uglier

Call it Peggygate, Raisegate, or just an unholy mess.

But there’s no question Mayor Bob Bratina is deep in doo-doo over conflicting versions of who initiated the $30,000 pay spike to his chief of staff, Peggy Chapman.

Yesterday councillors spent more than two hours behind closed doors listening to the human resources department’s version of events and discussing whether Bratina contravened council’s code of conduct.

Bratina was absent from the meeting so they decided not to make a move until they hear his side at another in camera session scheduled for next Tuesday.

But there are already rumblings Bratina may face a formal censure or investigation by the integrity commissioner unless he publicly apologizes for throwing staff under the bus.

When originally queried about raising Chapman’s pay from $90,000 to $120,000, Bratina told The Spec the city’s HR department evaluated her role and found she was vastly underpaid.

He said Chapman didn’t ask for the raise and he didn’t give it.

Bratina was a little fuzzier on the details at a subsequent meeting with the Spec editorial board, but more or less reiterated his initial position.

That all changed a few hours later when he told councillors by email that HR provided him with salary ranges and he then increased Chapman’s salary to reflect her expanded responsibilities.

His second version dovetails with HR director Helen Hale Tomasik’s account of what happened, which circulated between councillors in an email.

Councillors are livid that Bratina initially tried to pin the huge pay hike on staff when the initiative originated in his office, though it’s not clear if it was Bratina or Chapman herself who approached HR to ask for the salary ranges of previous chiefs of staff.

Nobody is publicly accusing the mayor of lying, but privately they’re expressing a couple of serious concerns.

First, the mayor may have deliberately misled council and the public

Second, awarding Chapman such a massive increase potentially undermines the city’s arguments for frugality during its talks with the Amalgamated Transit Union.

.................

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...uld-get-uglier

[flar]

It's almost gotten to the point where the City of Hamilton and its government needs to be dissolved. Dysfunctional beyond repair.

[durandy]

it may be a moot point, since the integrity commissioner in his annual report on Tuesday indicated that he may not even be able to enforce the code of conduct.

http://hamiltoncatch.org/view_article.php?id=1018

[SteelTown]

Mayor issues statement over pay hike

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...-over-pay-hike

Mayor Bob Bratina has issued a statement to the media about his chief of staff’s $30,000 raise.

The full text of the statement reads as follows:

Wednesday, in an interview I made comments regarding the salary adjustment given my Chief of Staff that left the impression that the initiative originated in the Human Resources Department. This was not the case, as I noted in the clarification I issued when I realized the impression that had been created by my remarks. I regret any negative inference that may have been created. The issue of salary review for this office is, of course, my responsibility as mayor. While I did seek comparative historical information from Human Resources and while I acted on the basis of that information, it was not my intention to suggest that the final approval was anyone's other than my own. It is time to put this unfortunate distraction behind us, and hopefully we can get back to tackling the many important issues and exciting opportunities that we will face as a council in the coming year.

Bob Bratina, Mayor

[SteelTown]

Where's the apology? Seems like council wants an apology to move forward.

[drpgq]

It's times like these when I wish municipal elections were still every three years.

[padthai]

My non-politically correct version of the statement:

Wednesday, in an interview I made comments regarding the salary adjustment given my Chief of Staff that left the impression saying that the initiative originated in the Human Resources Department. This was not the case a lie, as I noted in the clarification correction I issued when I realized the impression media and public firestorm that had been created by my remarks. I regret any negative inference effects on my reputation that may have been created. The issue of salary review for this office is, of course, my responsibility as mayor. While I did seek comparative historical information from Human Resources wanted to hike Peggy's pay and while I acted on the basis of that information got HR to back me up, it was not my intention to suggest that the final approval was anyone's other than my own. It is time to put this unfortunate distraction behind us for me to pretend like this isn't a big deal in a time of fiscal restraint, and hopefully we can get back to tackling the many important issues move on to my next big PR blunder and exciting opportunities that we will face as a petty bickering we will see in council in the coming year.

Bob Bratina, Mayor PR Nightmare

[durandy]

Originally Posted by padthai

My non-politically correct version of the statement:

Wednesday, in an interview I made comments regarding the salary adjustment given my Chief of Staff that left the impression saying that the initiative originated in the Human Resources Department. This was not the case a lie, as I noted in the clarification correction I issued when I realized the impression media and public firestorm that had been created by my remarks. I regret any negative inference effects on my reputation that may have been created. The issue of salary review for this office is, of course, my responsibility as mayor. While I did seek comparative historical information from Human Resources wanted to hike Peggy's pay and while I acted on the basis of that information got HR to back me up, it was not my intention to suggest that the final approval was anyone's other than my own. It is time to put this unfortunate distraction behind us for me to pretend like this isn't a big deal in a time of fiscal restraint, and hopefully we can get back to tackling the many important issues move on to my next big PR blunder and exciting opportunities that we will face as a petty bickering we will see in council in the coming year.

Bob Bratina, Mayor PR Nightmare

like

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Where's the apology? Seems like council wants an apology to move forward.

Sentence number three.

Time to move on, this is a tempest in a teacup being inflated by two principal groups: the hysterical class who just can't accept that Bratina won the mayoral race in 2010, and the political opportunists in council (Whitehead, Clark, Ferguson, Collins, Merulla) who want Bratina gone so they can run for mayor.

In all fairness, a clarification was needed. A lot of people got the wrong end of the stick (myself included), and the record is now straight. I'm ticked the original explanation was worded the way it was as it was meant more to deflect the inevitable criticism over the pay, but this statement clears that all up, so let's get on with it.

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

Sentence number three.

Time to move on, this is a tempest in a teacup being inflated by two principal groups: the hysterical class who just can't accept that Bratina won the mayoral race in 2010, and the political opportunists in council (Whitehead, Clark, Ferguson, Collins, Merulla) who want Bratina gone so they can run for mayor.

In all fairness, a clarification was needed. A lot of people got the wrong end of the stick (myself included), and the record is now straight. I'm ticked the original explanation was worded the way it was as it was meant more to deflect the inevitable criticism over the pay, but this statement clears that all up, so let's get on with it.

I dunno. Is "regret" an apology? Does he regret getting caught lying? Does he "regret" getting caught shitting on staff?

He regrets "any negative inference"? What is that? No apology to staff?

This isn't so much about clarifying the origins of Chapman's raise as it is about the mayor's penchant for poor communication (perhaps even out right lying and getting busted), and also throwing staff under the bus.

Shameful anyway you slice it. This is not good.

[markbarbera]

Really folks, the use of the word regret is confusing you? When someone says they regret an action, that is an apology.

If you don't believe me look up the definition yourself in dictionary.com:

re·gret   [ri-gret]
verb (used with object)
1. to feel sorrow or remorse for (an act, fault, disappointment, etc.): He no sooner spoke than he regretted it.

Now, if the discussion now shifts to how "good" or "bad" an apology this is, we are going well beyond a farce over this and are now sinking to a new low of "Gotcha!" politics.

[CaptainKirk]

An apology is for the injured or harmed person. It's of a generous, giving and healing intent. An attempt at reparation, making amends.

Regret is for the mayor. It's a self centered feeling. Furthermore does he regret hurting someone else ( staff) or does he regret getting caught? Huge difference.

He regrets "any negative inference". Puhlease!

[padthai]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

Sentence number three.

Time to move on, this is a tempest in a teacup being inflated by two principal groups: the hysterical class who just can't accept that Bratina won the mayoral race in 2010, and the political opportunists in council (Whitehead, Clark, Ferguson, Collins, Merulla) who want Bratina gone so they can run for mayor.

Mark, I got deja vu with your post. Some research shows your other "Tempest in a Teapot/cup" posts:
Connaught
LRT
Festival of Friends
Please stop using outdated lingo to describe every other issue in this city - it'll show your age (yet perhaps explains why you're an avid Bratina supporter?)

Frankly, the media and public upheaval shows this isn't "time to move on." With a public employee getting a 33% pay raise in a time when the city's aiming for 0% increases and other departments are absorbing zero-budgets, I'm pissed. I want to see a clear rationale for such an exorbitant increase, not just 'bringing her in line with what others make'.

I think I've don't my part to feed the pro-Bratina troll. Others should try to avoid it...

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by padthai

Mark, I got deja vu with your post. Some research shows your other "Tempest in a Teapot/cup" posts:
Connaught
LRT
Festival of Friends
Please stop using outdated lingo to describe every other issue in this city - it'll show your age (yet perhaps explains why you're an avid Bratina supporter?)

Frankly, the media and public upheaval shows this isn't "time to move on." With a public employee getting a 33% pay raise in a time when the city's aiming for 0% increases and other departments are absorbing zero-budgets, I'm pissed. I want to see a clear rationale for such an exorbitant increase, not just 'bringing her in line with what others make'.

I think I've don't my part to feed the pro-Bratina troll. Others should try to avoid it...

Padthai, if you are going to attack someone else's writing skills, you should proofread your attack before posting it, lest your own spelling/grammar errors betray your hypocrisy.

On more than one occasion I have been accused of being 'old' because I support Bratina. Evidently there are some out there that feel the worthiness of opinions expressed by those who are 'old' should be discounted in value. For them, I feel pity because they possess a certain naivete that prevents them from realizing the value of life experience when forming opinions, and they probably have a lot of life experiences ahead of them before they learn that lesson.

For the record (even though it really is none of your damn business) I am 44 years old, so I will let you decide if that is 'old' enough for you to oversimplify the rationale for my support of Bratina as mayor.

Also, for the record, I am disappointed by the way this particular situation was handled by the Mayor. An upfront explanation of why Peggy Chapman's salary was being adjusted would have taken the legs out of the brou-ha-ha that has predicated the pay raise. Simply put, Chapman got the raise because she was seriously underpaid for the first year in her position, given the volume of work she performs in the mayor's office. That should have been the clear, direct response to questions surrounding the raise. After all, we do live in a society that actively promotes the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.

As far the bleating that a raise like this is wrong during times of fiscal restraint, it is important to point out that, even with this salary increase, the salary in the Mayor's office is still at or below its budget.

Finally, I feel obliged to respond to the suggestion that there is a major public outcry over the pay raise. While there is some online noise about this, it is, generally speaking, coming from the same handful of people who lately have made noise more out of habit than reason. And, the only media members I have seen doggedly pursuing this story is the dynamic duo of Bratina-bashers housed in the 44 Frid Street bunker.

[padthai]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

Padthai, if you are going to attack someone else's writing skills, you should proofread your attack before posting it, lest your own spelling/grammar errors betray your hypocrisy.

On more than one occasion I have been accused of being 'old' because I support Bratina. Evidently there are some out there that feel the worthiness of opinions expressed by those who are 'old' should be discounted in value. For them, I feel pity because they possess a certain naivete that prevents them from realizing the value of life experience when forming opinions, and they probably have a lot of life experiences ahead of them before they learn that lesson.

For the record (even though it really is none of your damn business) I am 44 years old, so I will let you decide if that is 'old' enough for you to oversimplify the rationale for my support of Bratina as mayor.

Also, for the record, I am disappointed by the way this particular situation was handled by the Mayor. An upfront explanation of why Peggy Chapman's salary was being adjusted would have taken the legs out of the brou-ha-ha that has predicated the pay raise. Simply put, Chapman got the raise because she was seriously underpaid for the first year in her position, given the volume of work she performs in the mayor's office. That should have been the clear, direct response to questions surrounding the raise. After all, we do live in a society that actively promotes the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.

As far the bleating that a raise like this is wrong during times of fiscal restraint, it is important to point out that, even with this salary increase, the salary in the Mayor's office is still at or below its budget.

Finally, I feel obliged to respond to the suggestion that there is a major public outcry over the pay raise. While there is some online noise about this, it is, generally speaking, coming from the same handful of people who lately have made noise more out of habit than reason. And, the only media members I have seen doggedly pursuing this story is the dynamic duo of Bratina-bashers housed in the 44 Frid Street bunker.

Mark, I regret that my comments were misinterpreted. Any negative inference was unintentional.

The stereotype of the old, CHML-listening crowd of Bratina voters may be unfair, but I think there's some credence to it. The younger generation of Hamiltonians in particular are looking for a mayor with some vision, some forward-thinking ideas and someone who is open, transparent and accountable. We're simply not seeing it.

I, in fact, do respect the wisdom of those who are 'old,' but unfortunately with our current mayor, he reflects the negative stereotypes of the older generation: crankiness, stubbornness, ignorance, curmudgeonliness....as opposed to wisdom and the positive benefits of age.