MONROE - Green County Board members, aware the public passed a referendum two weeks ago to provide more money for Pleasant View Nursing Home, passed a resolution to increase the pay for the vacant administrator position to help attract talented candidates.
The resolution passed 25-4. Board members Joe Cousin, Cathy Cryor-Burgweger, Sherri Fiduccia and Randall Iverson voted against the resolution.
Board members opposed to the idea said it didn't look good to voters to ask for a referendum to help pay for Pleasant View and then raise an administrator's salary at the very next county board meeting.
"I went out on a limb to get the referendum passed," Cousin said. "If I vote for this I'll need a sheriff's escort to get back into Albany."
Don Stoor, who had been administrator at the nursing home for many years, recently resigned due to health reasons.
With the vacancy in the administrator's position, the Nursing Home Committee requested an increase in salary for the person selected to replace Stoor. Stoor received $85,925 per year. The new administrator will make between $84,240 and $105,643 per year.
Green County Board Chairman Art Carter said the salary proposed by the committee is in line with the salaries other nursing home administrators in the area.
Board member Sue Disch, who attends the nursing home committee meetings but is not a member of the committee, said the people on the committee discussed the issue at length before it made the recommendation. She said the committee has the best interest of the nursing home in mind.
"One way to help the nursing home is to have a top-notch administrator who will make money for the nursing home," she said.
Disch said the extra salary, possibly up to $20,000 more than Stoor earned, could be recouped by the county if it had a strong leader in charge at Pleasant view.
Carter said the nursing home needs someone in charge who is qualified for the job.
"We know there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed," Carter said.
Board member Herb Hanson, who is a member of the Nursing Home Committee, said the county can save more money if it has strong leadership in the administrator's post.
"We need someone who can bring expenditures down and income up," he said. "To do that we have to pay a competitive wage."
Some board members were critical.
They wanted to know why the board would increase the administrator's salary without knowing for certain there wouldn't be qualified people who would be willing to work for the current salary.
Carter said it would be difficult to find a replacement at the same salary Stoor received. He said it's harder for counties to hire qualified people if they don't offer competitive wages.
"We know what hiring a non-qualified person does." Carter said.
The resolution passed 25-4. Board members Joe Cousin, Cathy Cryor-Burgweger, Sherri Fiduccia and Randall Iverson voted against the resolution.
Board members opposed to the idea said it didn't look good to voters to ask for a referendum to help pay for Pleasant View and then raise an administrator's salary at the very next county board meeting.
"I went out on a limb to get the referendum passed," Cousin said. "If I vote for this I'll need a sheriff's escort to get back into Albany."
Don Stoor, who had been administrator at the nursing home for many years, recently resigned due to health reasons.
With the vacancy in the administrator's position, the Nursing Home Committee requested an increase in salary for the person selected to replace Stoor. Stoor received $85,925 per year. The new administrator will make between $84,240 and $105,643 per year.
Green County Board Chairman Art Carter said the salary proposed by the committee is in line with the salaries other nursing home administrators in the area.
Board member Sue Disch, who attends the nursing home committee meetings but is not a member of the committee, said the people on the committee discussed the issue at length before it made the recommendation. She said the committee has the best interest of the nursing home in mind.
"One way to help the nursing home is to have a top-notch administrator who will make money for the nursing home," she said.
Disch said the extra salary, possibly up to $20,000 more than Stoor earned, could be recouped by the county if it had a strong leader in charge at Pleasant view.
Carter said the nursing home needs someone in charge who is qualified for the job.
"We know there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed," Carter said.
Board member Herb Hanson, who is a member of the Nursing Home Committee, said the county can save more money if it has strong leadership in the administrator's post.
"We need someone who can bring expenditures down and income up," he said. "To do that we have to pay a competitive wage."
Some board members were critical.
They wanted to know why the board would increase the administrator's salary without knowing for certain there wouldn't be qualified people who would be willing to work for the current salary.
Carter said it would be difficult to find a replacement at the same salary Stoor received. He said it's harder for counties to hire qualified people if they don't offer competitive wages.
"We know what hiring a non-qualified person does." Carter said.