By Christina Veiga
cveiga@MiamiHerald.com
The Homestead Housing Authority’s executive director almost got another $30,000 raise.
It would have been his second hefty raise in a year-and-a-half on the job. Board Chairman David Berrones suggested the director, who was hired despite having no public housing experience, should be paid on-par with what other executive directors make nationally.
Berrones praised the executive director for saving the authority $32,000 on a new garbage contract and $10,000 by switching auditors.
“Our director stepped in and already saved us all this money. He should be rewarded,” Berrones said.
He added: “He’s really underpaid at $90,000,” according to the local and national comparisons. Berrones said other executive directors make up to $150,000.
Hentschel was hired in May 2011 at a salary of $70,000. He got a $20,000 raise two months later. Berrones at a September meeting suggested bringing Hentschel’s salary up to $120,000.
Board member Arturo DeLeon suggested a $10,000 raise instead, and another review in six months.
But members were split, with Audelia Martinez and Marta Torres voting against the raise.
With only four members at the meeting, the vote failed. Board member Ian Iglesias has only been to a few meetings since he was appointed to the board in August 2011, and board member Lois Jones stopped attending meetings in May in protest against the executive director.
Martinez said she wants to lay out specific goals for the executive director, and reevaluate him in six months. Torres said the board needs to discuss the issue more because she feared bad press.
Board members also decided to work on their bylaws to be able to disqualify members from their position on the board if they miss too many meetings.
Follow @Cveiga on Twitter.
It would have been his second hefty raise in a year-and-a-half on the job. Board Chairman David Berrones suggested the director, who was hired despite having no public housing experience, should be paid on-par with what other executive directors make nationally.
Berrones praised the executive director for saving the authority $32,000 on a new garbage contract and $10,000 by switching auditors.
“Our director stepped in and already saved us all this money. He should be rewarded,” Berrones said.
He added: “He’s really underpaid at $90,000,” according to the local and national comparisons. Berrones said other executive directors make up to $150,000.
Hentschel was hired in May 2011 at a salary of $70,000. He got a $20,000 raise two months later. Berrones at a September meeting suggested bringing Hentschel’s salary up to $120,000.
Board member Arturo DeLeon suggested a $10,000 raise instead, and another review in six months.
But members were split, with Audelia Martinez and Marta Torres voting against the raise.
With only four members at the meeting, the vote failed. Board member Ian Iglesias has only been to a few meetings since he was appointed to the board in August 2011, and board member Lois Jones stopped attending meetings in May in protest against the executive director.
Martinez said she wants to lay out specific goals for the executive director, and reevaluate him in six months. Torres said the board needs to discuss the issue more because she feared bad press.
Board members also decided to work on their bylaws to be able to disqualify members from their position on the board if they miss too many meetings.
Follow @Cveiga on Twitter.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/26/3068952/homestead-housing-chief-wont-get.html#storylink=cpy
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