By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
ASHWAUBENON – The village’s proposed parks and recreation budget for 2019 includes more than $54,000 in personnel cost increases, including more than a $17,000 pay hike for the department director.
Ashwaubenon Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Rex Mehlberg appeared Tuesday, Oct. 16, before the village’s Parks and Recreation board to discuss next year’s department budget.
As currently proposed, total personnel costs for next year come to $395,411, up from $341,336 for 2018.
The biggest increases in personnel costs include three positions in the department with the director’s salary increasing next year to $92,025, up from $74,704 in 2018, the program supervisor’s salary increasing to $66,463, up from $52,777, and the aquatic coordinator’s salary also increasing to $66,463, up from $47,595.
When asked about the increases for those three positions, Mehlberg said full-time positions and salary rates were looked at by the village’s administration.
“It’s not something that we requested,” he said. “It’s something that administration did for all department heads, all different divisions, not just park and rec, based on some of their averages, what they felt was appropriate around northeast Wisconsin.”
Mehlberg said the overall department budget “is still very fluid” at this point after an initial meeting with village administration.
“I can’t say in terms of what’s going through and what’s not going through, or what projects are approved or what’s not approved, but you’ve got an idea anyway of what at least has been submitted for consideration,” he said.
Day camp profit
Mehlberg and David Roehrig, program supervisor, reported on the summer day camp program netting a profit of $14,575.
In addition to be able to fully cover actual program and staffing costs, Mehlberg said exceeding the expenses, which were $45,406 this year, will make it possible to offset the full-time costs of doing the program.
By raising the fees across the board this summer, Roehrig said that generated additional revenue and also made it possible to go on “a little bit nicer field trips, because that’s what’s going to keep the kids coming back.”
The cost per person this year was $125 for residents, $140 for non-residents, $97 for summer school residents and $112 for summer school non-residents.
Roehrig said the program averaged 50 campers per week.