Wayne County Labor Unions Launch Petition Drive To Cut Elected Officials’ Salaries

CBS Detroit

May 3, 2016

DETROIT (WWJ) – Wayne County labor unions are launching a pair or petition drives in hopes of cutting the salaries of Wayne County Commissioners.

The “Wayne County Citizens for Reform” organization is kicking off the effort Tuesday afternoon in hopes of putting two amendments on the November ballot.

One would cut Commissioners’ salaries from $61,000 a year to $45,000 and the second would make it illegal for any county employee to engage in what’s known as”double dipping” — collecting a pension check and a regular county check at the same time.

Organizers will be distributing both petitions to volunteers at a kickoff rally at Michigan AFSCME Council 25 in downtown Detroit Tuesday evening.

The chair of the Wayne County Commission says the petition drive is puzzling because commissioners have not had a pay raise in 14 years and, if approved, the amendments don’t put any more money in the pockets of county workers and would have little impact on the county’s budget.

The goal is to collect 66,000 voter signatures in 60 days.