CHEBOYGAN — In a bid to retain city manager Dan Sabolsky, the Cheboygan City Council Tuesday night approved an improved pay package for him.
On a 6-1 vote, council signed off on immediately increasing Sabolsky’s annual salary from the current $105,000 to $112,000. In June, his pay will increase to $116,000 and in June 2026 it will rise to $122,000. Voting yes on the pay plan were council members Hayley Dodd, Mayor Brett Mallory, David Martin, Diane Mills, Sierra Oliver and LeRoy Ormsbee. Councilwoman Mary Darling was the only no vote.
“This is the third time Dan has had a job offer. It will happen again,” Mills said. “A city manager is a key employee regardless of whether it is him. He has three years of longevity. If Dan decides to take another job we will have to start all over again with another city manager. I didn’t want to start over again.”
Cheboygan City Hall is shown.
There has been speculation since December that Sabolsky was a candidate for the township manager’s position in Chocolay Township, which is located outside of Marquette in the Upper Peninsula. Sabolsky said he is no longer a candidate for that position.
Last June, council approved a new contract for Sabolsky that included a salary of $105,000 in the first year, $110,000 in the second year and $115,000 in the third year. He was hired by council in 2021 after serving as town manager of West Yellowstone, Montana.
Darling called the process to increase Sabolsky’s salary “ridiculous.”
“He got a golden parachute handed to him in June. He has so many benefits that it will break this city if he takes them. He already has a large salary and a lot of benefits. This should have never been approved,” Darling said.
Mills used data from the Michigan Municipal League on salaries for city managers in cities with a population of 4,200 to 5,500. She said those salaries ranged from a low of $96,000 to $189,000. Cheboygan has a population of 4,770, according to the 2020 census.
“I was shocked but extremely grateful for the support that I received from council, city staff and the public,” Sabolsky said.
Is he committed to Cheboygan now?
“I have always been committed to here,” he replied.
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The meeting showed there are still tensions between Darling and Mallory. Darling became so frustrated that she addressed the council during the public comment period.
“City council members cannot talk to you guys. It was taken off for what reason I don’t know. But they will not let us speak to the citizens of Cheboygan and if you look at your agenda you will not see that anymore,” said Darling.
Mallory then told her to direct her comments to the council.
“You don’t listen to me,” Darling replied. “They are trying to change the city charter by calling it policies and rules so that they have the ability to remove me from council with just a vote of them.”
At one point Mallory admonished Darling and then asked Cheboygan Police Chief Scott Rifenberg to remove her from the meeting. Instead, Rifenberg suggested that the meeting be adjourned for five minutes.
Council approved the brief recess and then resumed the meeting.
More: Cheboygan council tells Darling to reimburse city for payment to contractor
At a meeting last November, Mallory and former councilman Adam Bedwin accused Darling of violating a provision in the city charter which prohibits council members from contacting firms that do work for the city without first notifying the city manager.
The council approved a motion asking Darling to reimburse the city for a $1,125 bill from a contractor that was incurred without authorization of the city council or city manager. Council then approved a second motion that said if Darling fails to provide the reimbursement by Jan. 1, 2025, “the matter will be referred to the (state) Attorney General to institute a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction for the recovery of the funds pursuant to MCL 141.440.”
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan City Council endorses pay increase in effort to keep city manager Dan Sabolsky