Editor,

I was shocked to read the article in the paper about the mayor’s 125% increase in salary by the salary commission, and even more so when I saw that Tiffany Scribner is the chair of the salary commission that approved the raise. I see the mayor and Tiffany Scribner out at the bar all the time drinking and laughing together until all hours of the morning.

The close relationship between the mayor and the chair of the salary commission seems like a glaring conflict of interest. There is no way that the chair of the salary commission is unbiased in her decision to approve this increase due to her close relationship with the mayor.

The mayor chose to seek this public service position knowing the salary and the demands of being mayor, and it is not the taxpayers’ job to compensate him more now that he is in the position and suddenly feels underpaid. It is disingenuous to come into the position and and immediately demand a 125% salary increase from his constituents. The mayor serves a community in which many, many people work very hard and are not properly compensated at their jobs. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have a salary commission headed by our best drinking buddy to change our own pay.

I hope that a resolution of this issue can be reached in which there is no 125% increase in the mayor’s salary thrown in the face of the residents of Oak Harbor, but nothing will be done unless we all speak up and oppose this.

Shannon Bly

Oak Harbor