Six-figure salaries set for new DPW, Finance heads

The city's newest department heads will each get paid more than $100,000, the Common Council decided in a 10-3 vote Tuesday.

The council approved compensation for Finance Director Craig Kammholz and Public Works Director Bill Porter. A special council meeting was held because the compensation packages weren't read into the record at the prior week's meeting as required by city ordinance.

Kammholz will get a starting salary of $105,900, as well as three weeks of vacation. Porter's compensation package calls for a $104,830 salary, three weeks of vacation and a $300 monthly car allowance in lieu of a city vehicle.

Both also would receive a week of "executive leave," unpaid time off that provides some time off to employees coming from jobs that offered more vacation time.

Some aldermen have called the pay excessive, but City Administrator James Archambo said there is a cost savings from the salaries of the people who recently left those positions.

"It's less than what we paid before but more than what they were making before coming here," he said.

Both new hires likely will start by mid-March, Archambo said.