Pasco — The Pasco City Council on Tuesday voted 4-2 to give City Manager Gary Crutchfield a $12,000 bonus, citing his budget management skills that have saved the city significant amounts of money.
Mayor Pro Tem Rebecca Francik said that Crutchfield in particular has saved the city money with his management of the city’s water rights and economic development fund.
Councilmen Bob Hoffmann and Al Yenney voted against the bonus, but were emphatic that did not reflect on Crutchfield’s performance.
Mayor Matt Watkins, Francik and Councilmen Mike Garrison and Saul Martinez voted in favor. Councilman Tom Larsen was absent.
Yenney said he voted no because he’d rather see the cap lifted on Crutchfield’s salary range and give the city manager a raise instead of a one-time “merit award.”
“I appreciate the way he’s led the city,” Yenney said.
Hoffmann echoed Yenney’s sentiments about Crutchfield’s performance, but said he voted no because he would have preferred a slightly smaller bonus amount. The council has awarded Crutchfield a $10,000 bonus each year for the past several years.
Crutchfield has been Pasco’s city manager for 28 years, and because of his longtime employment has reached the top of his salary range, other than to receive small cost-of-living increases.
In a salary survey published by the Herald in April 2012, Crutchfield’s $147,240 salary was less than his counterparts in Kennewick and Richland, each of whom have been on the job for five years or less.
Crutchfield couldn’t say specifically what his 2013 salary is, but estimated it around $150,000 excluding the bonus.
Also Tuesday, the council:
*Voted 5-1 in favor of a resolution supporting a $46.8 million Pasco School District bond that’s on the ballot in February. Hoffmann voted against the resolution, saying he didn’t think the council should take a stance.
If passed, the bond would pay for three new elementary schools and for other construction, including adding classrooms to Pasco High School and relocating New Horizons High School. Ballots are being sent to voters this week.
*Voted unanimously to award a $3.4 million contract to Lydig Construction of Spokane to build a new municipal court as part of the Franklin County jail expansion. Franklin County is set to award a contract for its portion of the $18 million project today.
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