The Cheboygan City Council voted to increase city manager Dan Sabolsky’s salary to keep him from leaving for other job offers
Council members Hayley Dodd, Mayor Brett Mallory, David Martin, Diane Mills, Sierra Oliver, and LeRoy Ormsbee were all on board with the plan. Only Councilwoman Mary Darling voted against it.
Diane Mills pointed out that this is the third time Sabolsky has been offered another job. She stressed how important it is to keep a city manager, especially since he’s been here for three years. If he leaves, they’d have to start the search all over again.
There’s been some buzz since December about Sabolsky possibly taking a job in Chocolay Township, but he’s said he’s no longer in the running for that. Last June, they had already set up a contract for him with a gradual salary increase over three years.
Darling wasn’t happy about the pay raise, calling the whole process “ridiculous.” She mentioned that Sabolsky already has a good salary and benefits, and she thinks it could hurt the city financially.
Mills backed up the pay increase by sharing salary data for city managers in similar-sized towns, which ranged from $96,000 to $189,000. Cheboygan’s population is around 4,770, according to the last census.
Sabolsky expressed his gratitude for the council’s support and reassured everyone that he’s committed to Cheboygan.
The meeting also highlighted some ongoing tensions between Darling and Mallory. Darling got frustrated and spoke out during the public comment period, saying council members can’t communicate with citizens like they used to. Mallory told her to address the council instead, which led to a bit of back and forth.
At one point, Mallory asked the police chief to remove Darling, but he suggested taking a short break instead. After a brief recess, they got back to business.
In a previous meeting, Mallory and a former councilman accused Darling of not following proper procedures when contacting city contractors. The council even voted for her to reimburse the city for a bill she incurred without authorization, warning that if she didn’t pay by January 2025, they’d take it to the Attorney General.
