Westwood BID board approves executive salary increases
Andrew Thomas, the executive director of the Westwood Business Improvement District, said his salary increace will not affect local projects.
By Fiona Kirby
Sept. 27, 2013 1:23 a.m.
The original version of this article contained information that was unclear and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information.
The board of the Westwood Business Improvement District, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the area on behalf of local business owners, voted last Thursday to raise the salaries of two its executive staffers, a move that angered some Westwood community members.
Some questioned how the pay raises will affect the organization’s budget for this year, which will remain close to the same level it was in past years, about $1.3 million. It is slated to stay at that level until 2016.
On Sept. 19, the BID board unanimously voted to increase the salaries of Executive Director Andrew Thomas and Assistant to the Executive Director Eric Norton by about 9 percent and about 20 percent respectively. Thomas’ salary went from about $110,000 to $120,000 and Norton’s rose from $52,000 to $62,500.
Board members and BID officials say the organization will have enough funds to continue with its current landscaping and outreach services despite the salary increases.
Westwood’s Business Improvement District was created in 2011 by Westwood business and property owners to help beautify the area and encourage business. It was brought up for renewal for another three-year stint in early May through a slim majority vote by property owners.
The increases will come from surpluses in the 2011-2013 budget, said Clinton Schudy, a member of the Business Improvement District board and the owner of Oakley’s Barber Shop in Westwood.
Schudy said he did not oppose the increases because they would not cut into funds that were allocated for future projects.
Thomas is also eligible for a bonus package of up to 10 percent of his pay every year.
Schudy said he thought there should be a previously agreed upon list of specific accomplishments that warrant a bonus instead of the board granting a bonus after reviewing what the BID has done throughout the year.
He added that he wanted to make sure Westwood property owners appreciate the BID’s services and renew it for another three years.
Some community members do not agree that the salary bumps were warranted.
Steve Sann, chair of the Westwood Community Council, said he thought the raises were excessive and could prevent property owners from renewing the BID in the future.
“We’re not saying don’t give them raises. … But this is a lot of money for a BID that doesn’t have any more to spend for the next three years than it has had for the last three years,” he said.
Philip Gabriel, who has owned both property and a business, Scrubs Unlimited, in Westwood for about 20 years, spoke at last Thursday’s meeting to voice similar concerns to the board.
Gabriel said he thought the BID has done some great things, but that the pay raises show that it does not take sufficient input from business owners.
“This recent pay raise, the way it happened … we felt that it was really rammed down our throats. They only gave us two minutes each to debate it (before the board voted),” he said in an interview.
Thomas said the issue was on the table for months before it was approved.
Thomas said the budget is staying close to what it was in 2011 because the organization is not ready to change the dues it collects from property owners. He added the board could raise the dues per square foot if it voted to do so.
The BID will continue to do the cleaning and safety services that it has offered in the past, Thomas said. These services include landscaping, tree trimming and working with social service groups in Westwood, such as People Assisting the Homeless, an organization that finds housing and employment opportunities for homeless people.
The newly planned budget also allocated more money for communications and development, which would pay for more outreach to bring new businesses to the area and allow current residents to know more about their community, Thomas said.
Thomas said he does not anticipate any reduction in the services the BID already offers. Members of the board say they want to expand the organization’s work.
Clarification: The vote to increase the pay of two BID executive staff angered some community members. The pay raise was under consideration for months before approval in late September.
