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Mayor Bunkers resigns
Mayor Dean Bunkers is resigning, effective Friday. Near the end of tonight’s city council meeting, he read a letter, stating: “This is my official notification of my plan to resign as mayor effective Feb. 12, 2010 . . .
“My decision is based solely on my health,” Bunkers said.
“I simply do not have the mental stamina nor the physical energy to continue as your full time mayor for two years.”
His administrative duties will then be handled, temporarily, by Mike Styner, the chief of Public Safety.
Council has 90 days to appoint a new mayor to finish Bunkers’ term.
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42 Responses to “Mayor Bunkers resigns”
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@ Just Joan, I did my research, Bunkers signed the contract for the round-a-bout, McEachon was responsible for the quotes, but his signature doesn’t appear on the contracts, nor does it appear on the re-paving, Bunkers does, so who do we blame for that little cash deficit??
“the unions are not the cause of our problems”
No, they are not the “cause”, but they are a contributing factor.
However, I think that any salary cuts should start at the top, not with the rank and file.
Uh, I am proud to be a IAM 751 members wife, and daughter of an Operating Engineers union member. I absolutely agree with you, that the unions are not the cause of our problems nation wide, let alone in Ocean Shores! This does not mean I always agree with how unions can operate, or that I was suggesting that we cut pay to workers for the city or for social security, although you can see that they are not going to implement a cola for SS next year. I was speaking from personal experience. In our contracts, we have cola added quarterly to our base pay, but it doesn’t become ‘wrapped in to base pay’ until end of the contract year. So, we have had minus cola at times, not often I grant you, but it has happened. Since we have had no cola in the last eighteen months of this contract period, they have not been able to deduct it, but we have received zero, just as will happen with SS this next year. We were speaking in direct response to the Mayors suggestion that he planned to take a cut in pay after two years to allow for hiring a city manager. That is the only context in which I was speaking. Sorry I wasn’t clear about that.
Lorraine, can you state when the last time there was negative CPI( and what cpi that was as there are many) other than this year and where your sources are. During my research which encluded the Website that lists all the cpi’s I wasnt able to find one unless you go back around fifty years ago. Even the government isnt taking cpi from the soldiers or from social security even though its negative. The thought you would want these people to have money deducted from their pay is insane. “Sorry Grandma, you know CPI was negative this year, you dont have enough money for your medications” or “its ok hunny, when daddy gets back from IRAQ he will get a second job since CPI was deducted from our check and now we cant buy food” My father was a devoted union member all his life and I was proud to be one aswell before I retired. Quit blaming the cities problems on the unions and high salaries. There are many more mistakes this city has made that have cost them to be in trouble than just the salaries.
The code I read in Washington state city mayor/council salaries, suggests that increasing the mayors salary while he is presiding is not allowed, unless he abstains from voting. It says nothing about when or how such salary can be DEcreased. It also lists a much lower rate of compensation for council members and mayors of towns with less than 5,000 population. Where did they come up with the rates of compensation for the present Mayor and Council?
Does anyone have any idea why we are stuck with them? If we truly want to balance the budget, aren’t any salaries paid to any city employees, even elected officials subject to review? Are they protected by unions? Even as a wife of a union member, I know that cola’s for example can be taken away until that amount is wrapped in to the base rate of pay. We have had minus colas in the past, and have had no cola increase in the last 18 months because of the economy. So why would not this same principle apply to city or state employees?
” what were we going to have those people do? We were stuck paying salaries.”
Can you spell “Layoff”? I don’t think the city is in any position to act as a charity.
Speaking of “layoff”, has it ever been made public exactly how much it cost us to consolidate the Fire Chief position? How much vacation/sick leave and severance did Hodges get? I assume that in the long run it will save money, but in short run can we afford it. (It’s beginning to look like there may not be a long run unless we can get our current expenditures under control.)
By the way, proposing a new ambulance and then dropping the request didn’t “save” us any money any more than me trying to convince my wife that I decided not to buy that new Mercedes and buying a little bass boat instead “saved” us money.
city manager or mayor but not both. then you take the current mayors salary and split it 3 ways. mayor/manager and two(working) police officers. $30/$30/$30. seems doable. if not now, in two years when allowable. foe the time being we will just have to suck it up and live with what we got. think,think,think NOT bitch,bitch,bitch.
All the projects the city took on were based on grants. Some did have contributions from the city. However, with the building that is going on now, or the lack of it, what were we going to have those people do? We were stuck paying salaries.
Yes, we are stuck for two years paying someone to be mayor. Yes, they will have to be the administrator too. What we need to do is start preparing how we want the city run in the future. We are committed for many years in our current form. There is no going back for now. That said, maybe we seek a division of labor between a mayor and city administrator. Neither does it all. By contract we can say what the duties of the administrator are. Then we have a mayor who is ulitmately responsible for things. However, that makes him or her a CEO type of position. Something to think about.
As I understand it, because of State law we have to continue paying a mayor $99,600 per year for the next two years. If so, how are we going to hire a city administrator? What are we going to pay him/her with? Or are we going to appoint him/her “mayor” until the next election. Then we can elect a new “mayor” (at a reduced salary) and “hire” the administrator into his/her actual position.
Of course he/she is going to expect to continue receiving the 99,600 and we will have just added the cost of a titular mayor to the payroll in addition to the bloated administrator pay. Or can we get someone in that will agree to a decrease in salary in two years?
There have been suggestions that we go back to the old “strong council” form of government. Won’t that cost us another bundle to do?
I think Ocean Shores really needs to hunker down and ride out the storm. Cancel all existing projects (Tonquin bridge, sidewalk to the Senior Center, even as far as electricity to the new street lights.) and call a moratorium on anything “new”. It seems that everything that the city comes up as “free” (paid for by grants and such) still cost us money because “we” need to do “prep work” or administer it or something. There seems to be too much “empire building” going on here. We need to cut back on everything, every department, not just the PD, Library and IC .
The bid for the roundabout, the airport enhancements, the water treatment plant, ignoring the County water plan and the fire station were all signed/approved by Bunkers. He had the opportunity to modify each and every one and didn’t. Patrick and company are the ones to blame for the salary issue, but although they had a hand in some of them, they can’t be totally blamed for these other expenditures. His biggest achievement, in my mind, is consolidating the police and fire departments.
Nicky, I so agree with you, I remember when he first took office he made a comment that he had no idea how bad things really were till he got behind the scenes. He was handed a nightmare and no one could have done any better. Steve, that stupid expenditure of a roundabout was set up before he came. The salaries had been set by McEachon who tried his hardest destroy this city and took hundreds of thousands with him when he left thanks to the then city council. Everything had already been set up in a fantasy land that the previous powers had set in place and had to be dealt with in reality. Lots of crazy ineptitude had happened, including things like the non billing of the ambulance rides or the not factoring in of interest on the roads.
Nicki, he may have had noble intentions when he signed up for the job, but his signature is on all of the capital improvements that have happened since he took office. With the cost over-runs…
And yes, we’re close to a “The Front Fell Off” moment…
I think it is sad that a man who truly wanted the city to get better was blocked by his own council, the unions and a large part of the population. Running Ocean Shores, in its present economic state, is akin to being Captain of the Titanic. I hope the Council will think, verify and do some soul searching when they appoint a new Mayor.That ice burg is awfully close folks!
now, I like the idea of that garden!
I heard they were going to start a community garden on the roundabout and Chance A La Mer in all that new compost. Would that help stretch the budget.
But wait, I’m 65 now and not makin much money, can I use food stamps? Oh, that’s right, they don’t use those any more.
Bummer!
You can’t list your house until you pay your portion of the street LID. We have to get those new street lights and the roundabout paid for.
Is it too late to list my house?
We don’t elect a new mayor for two years. The council appoints someone to take over the term. Then they appoint someone to take a council seat if it is a council member.
Once the term of Mr. Bunkers is over, the council can then decide on the salary of the mayor and city administrator. That is two years out. That is, if we have a city then.
Point well taken..
Has everyone forgotten? With Bunkers going, we will now have to elect a new mayor AND we’re going to have to have a city manager as well. Bunkers ran on the ticket that he would perform both jobs for a year, then consider hiring a new city manager. Where are we going to get someone who will be willing to perform BOTH jobs again? We should go back to the old system because we sure can’t afford both a mayor and a city manager drawing the ridiculous salaries we’re paying people.
Thanks, Mr. Bunkers for trying to fix the city, but YOU wanted this job, got it on the ballot, got elected, and now we’re stuck with it unless we change back. We should have never switched in the first place….
First you have to understand that a LID (Uppercase) is a Local Improvement District. It is not the same as a Lid Lift which is an increase in the General Levy. They are two different things.
Rafael is right that everyone, young and old pay for a Lid Lift. There are some reductions of the General levy based on income levels, but there still is some payment. That means that rich or poor you pay for the service like a Lid Lift to pay for anything they specify. In fact, they could make it a general Lid lift without specifics. However, the last election was for a Lid Lift of the General Levy that goes into the General Fund with the provision that it is used for EMS. However, they could do the same for the library, Interpretive Center or anything else the General Fund pays for.
That said, if it is a Special Levy or Excess Levy the people have to vote it in with 60% approval. This tax is not paid by the people who are exempted. So, the others get to pay for their services. It is not fair in a city like Ocean Shores with it’s demographics. If they move forward with levies, which they will, we need to be fair and have all pay into the system.
Even the Utility idea has exceptions that place the burden on the citizens for group homes and other types of places.
Also, please keep in mind that while a lid supposedly is for improvements that increase the value of our properties, those of us who do not live there permanently have no say in the vote. So you all are speaking for all of us. I understand the majority rules, but in this case, aren’t the majority unable to vote? Just my thoughts on the matter.
MaryMary, If you go to the county assessor’s website, you will find that people over 61/handicapped and make less than 35k a year can qualify for 3 different levels of exemption from taxes. If its a lid lift, it is not considered a special levy, and everyone pays, except the exempt people pay a little less, depending on the category they’re in. If its an actual special levy like EMS that requires 60% of the vote to pass, then people that qualify for any of the three exemptions don’t pay a nickel on that special levy. Therefore, if the lid lift had passed, the people that would’ve gotten more of “the shaft” is the elderly/handicapped/low income people with the exemptions. Hope that helps.
“We also have to realize that if they propose Lid Lifts again for EMS, Library and the IC we all pay it. If they do it as a special or excess tax that requires a 60% vote then only those that do not have the exemption pay. That means those making more than 35 thousand a year and over 61.”
CitizensAgainstCrime, I really want to understand this. Do you mean that if we vote for a LID, we all pay the same assessment per lot? And if we vote for an additional property TAX instead, if you are exempt, your taxes won’t change? And I can get this exemption when I’m 61? Er, I mean, with property tax, the amount one pays will be based on one’s assessed property value?
I still think more cuts are the way to go. The city will survive. But if the question comes down to how do we squeeze more blood from the previously-squeezed turnips, the choice is LID=each lot owes the same, or, property tax=the more valuable properties pay more and the bare lots pay less, right? Which way gives justice to all investers in Ocean Shores? I think voters (residents) should more likely want the LID.
Mayor Bunkers did as good of a job as he was equipted for comming from a military background, however his policies have ripped this town in two, we have a large group of people here( out own teaparty group) who want less government, no EMS, low Police presence, low taxes, and carry your own gun. WE are a unique city, in the summer and on several weekends during the year we are a big city full of tourists, our numbers swell, the rest of the time we have a little over 5000 citizens who demographics would show are about 69% retired and elderly and who need services, when the police were cut we had a crime wave, face it folks there is no going back, we are a different city living in a different time, we need to pony up and fund the services we need, we just like most small cities and towns can’t depend on just property taxes, we are going to have to pass levys if we want services, like EMS and the LIBRARY.
The reality is that income is not equal to expenses. The income is not increasing. That means we have to cut. Dean was handed a bad hand from the start. The city is seeing more and more foreclosures. The land sales will not be what they were with NRPI. We have to realize that the property tax is the only steady source of income and plan to live on it only. Everything else is gravy. We also have to realize that if they propose Lid Lifts again for EMS, Library and the IC we all pay it. If they do it as a special or excess tax that requires a 60% vote then only those that do not have the exemption pay. That means those making more than 35 thousand a year and over 61. For disabled people there are similar exemptions. So, the citizens need to decide if they are all going to feel the pain or just stick it to their neighbor.
The level of service from all government entities is dropping because there is no money.
How do we get more money, improve the types of businesses that are in our city. Make our Tourism and Business Development Director do more than tourism. We need to be proactive.
Lets do that! Lets cut more positions. That way nothing gets completed around here. Have you tried to get hold of the Permit office? Have you tried to get a burn permit? Lets see, The Library hours have been cut. Interpetive Center hours cut. Police service cut, No Code enforcement,Fire department has been cut, Lets take out all customer service away from the citizens of this great City. We don’t need them right. We can use volunteers. Fine, we could if people would sign up. I don’t see any increase in volunteers. Customer service is important, Its the only thing we can sell, good public relations. Thats what brings people to our city. Some have lost faith in our city. Lets start showing the positive aspects of the city and move forward and pull ourselves up.
” so have nothing to sustain us now but cutting out the payroll of another 20 employees.”
Or considerbly fewer if we cut from the top instead of from the bottom. I feel that we need to “realign” the bloated salaries of the some of the “Chiefs” and keep some of the “Indians”
Every employee that is let go saves the city 33% percent of their salary in benefits. Sometimes it is cheaper to use overtime. In this city overtime is abused because there are no studies as to how it is used or how effective its use is.
The budget must be balanced. The next Mayor must have the strength to lay off another 20 employees without ruining his/her health. Anything less is just catering to special interests and hoping the economic future will save us. What if the future does not save us but gets worse? Some cities are not expecting any improvement until 2018 and have the reserves to weather the storm. We wasted all our reserves under the city manager of 2007 so have nothing to sustain us now but cutting out the payroll of another 20 employees.
Ditto Just Joan. Thanks, Dean.
I would like to thank Dean Bunkers for running for Mayor and doing his best to clean up the government of the City of Ocean Shores. He has put in timeless hours to try to solve the City problems. I cannot imagine the City pulling out of its financial crises until such time that the City Council can provide strong positive leadership, give the necessary direction and support to a Mayor and stop the irresponsible spending of money that the City just does not have. I will trust that Mr. Styner will not be a yes man to the Council and will be prudent in handling the administrative duties required until City Council can appoint a new Mayor. I just hope that the appointed person will be strong and stand up to the inept decisions of the Council and listen very carefully to the citizens of Ocean Shores that he or she serves. It is a time for change and positive change will only come when City Council accepts the responsibility to solve the short falls – not add to them. How much more of a wake up call does Council need to realize the magnitude of the issues that need to be dealt with no matter how tough those decisions may be?
While Chief Styner has been an outstanding officer and chief I would have hoped that the council would have learned from the past when a former chief was appointed as City Manager. That worked out well didn’t it.
Low blow, but the truth hurts.
rafael, how dare you use the words city, council and intelligence in the same sentence. don’t you know that they’re not compatible.
I just hope that the city council has the intelligence to divide this position up into two—-a city administrator and a mayor, and properly interview for an administrator—-not pull another McEachin. Now is the only time you can do it, when you are changing the reins of power, because of the issue of splitting the salaries.
Really? So this NOTHING to do with the petition for Vote of No Confidence that has been circulating?
fair winds and following seas, skipper.
I vote for Gary Iversen….
Holy smokes, what now? I shudder to think who our new mayor may be.
Dean, I am so sorry to see this but totally understand. You have brought the first sane and rational leadership to this city in the decade + that I have lived here. It is so unfortunate that you were left with the smelly mess that our former city manager and the city council of his time left behind in his attempt to totally destroy this city and line his pockets. Any that have been paying attention know this. Thank you for attempting to straighten out the mess. Joan
This is absolutely rediculous. He causes a huge stink pile and then leaves because of the smell. I’m glad he is leaving, his leadership left much to be desired, if we can even call it such. But why Styner? Hasn’t he created enough of a burden on that man, and now throw the entire city to him to manage? He should have done that a month ago before he ruined Styner’s police department. Regardless Styner will do more good in three months than Bunkers did in 2 years. Maybe Styner will make Art clean off his desk and find some of those important financials that seems to have gone a’missin’.
And Tom, I too want to see those overtime books after the one officer was laid off and Officer Luck retired. I think it would be interesting to compare the “savings” since they are currently down five officers with one on extended personal leave. At one and a half times the regular rate, it doesn’t seem right that they are paying 1.5x the amount of money it would have taken to retain the laid off officer. Who didn’t see this coming?