Lipscomb Slams Abele Administration for Hidden Bonuses
Under Abele, Human Resources awarded $268,450 in bonuses between May and November of last year alone.
MILWAUKEE – After a recent report revealed more than $250,000 in previously undisclosed bonuses during a six month period last year, County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr., slammed County Executive Chris Abele for doling out bonuses while at the same time blaming a lack of resources for his threats to close a northside pool.
“Taxpayers should be outraged to learn that the County Executive recently awarded more than $250,000 in bonuses but is blaming his threats to close the pool at Lincoln Park on a lack of funds,” said Lipscomb. “Among the more than $250,000 in hidden bonuses was an unauthorized award of $17,000 to one individual, which continues a pattern of hiding obscene raises to political appointees. County Executive Abele seems to think that he is above the law and continues to thumb his nose at the court, which ruled against him on this issue.”
A circuit court judge ruled in April 2017 that the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, not the County Executive, has the primary authority over the compensation of county employees.
Under Abele, Human Resources awarded $268,450 in bonuses between May and November of last year alone. The department has refused to provide a full accounting of incentives and enhanced benefits it awarded to employees that were not authorized by county policy, despite repeated written inquiries and public questioning before committees.
The $17,000 bonus awarded to an unknown individual in the Human Resources department stands out because it came after the judge’s ruling in April and because the department reports directly to County Executive Abele.
The Director of Human Resources recently wrote to Chairman Lipscomb and Supervisor James Schmitt, Chair of the Personnel Committee, to say that she would refuse to speak openly or on the record about the bonuses, claiming that compensation decisions are “not a matter of public policy.”
The Committee on Personnel is expected to discuss the report on unauthorized bonuses at its next meeting on January 19 at 9:00AM
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr.
It is professionally negligent by URBAN MILWAUKEE to list OPINION from a politician, like here with Lipscomb, without EXPLICITLY stating that the entry is OPINION AND NOT FACT!
@Sandra This is listed as a Press Release.