Columbus Light and Water’s General Manager Angela Verdell has waited five months for a response from the utility’s board of trustees after requesting a 19% salary increase and additional bumps to her benefits.
Robert Smith, CLW board member, said he hopes to finally give her an answer to that request at a recess meeting of the board this evening. He also hopes that answer is no.
“I’m in favor of giving her a slight raise, but not no 19% raise,” Smith told The Dispatch on Tuesday. “No way I can’t support that.”
In response to a public records request, CLW provided The Dispatch a letter Verdell emailed the board May 19 requesting the pay increase, which would bump her salary to about $214,200. She also wants her Public Employees Retirement System payments to increase from $1,000 to $1,500 per month, which would bring her total compensation to $220,200.
Additionally, she is wanting five more days of annual paid leave, which would bring that total to 30 days – equivalent to six work weeks.
“During my tenure, I have remained committed to strengthening CLW’s operational performance, financial stewardship, employee leadership and long-term strategic objectives,” Verdell wrote in the letter. “… In consideration of the expanded scope and complexity of responsibilities, demonstrated organizational accomplishments, evolving leadership demands and the absence of merit-based salary adjustments throughout my five-year contractual agreement as well as the measurable impact and value this position has delivered, I respectfully request consideration of the following contractual provisions.”
Verdell was hired in June 2021 to replace longtime GM Todd Gale, who passed away four months prior. Her five-year contract paid an annual salary of $180,000, more than Gale was making at the time of his death.
After receiving Verdell’s raise request, the board extended her current contract terms by three months through October, board member Barbara Brandon told The Dispatch.
Verdell did not respond to calls or messages from The Dispatch by press time.
The board will hold a recess meeting at 5 p.m. today at CLW’s board room to discuss the request.
Bad optics?
CLW has raised water and sewer rates by approximately 27% since 2023. Over that same time frame, electrical rates have increased by nearly 10%.
In light of those rate increases, Smith said giving Verdell a 19% raise would provide bad optics to customers.
Brandon, the newest board member who was appointed in June, agrees.
“I’m just trying to figure out (how) we in Columbus, Mississippi, and with the economy the way it is (can justify that raise),” Brandon said. “And I’m knowing people that have food insecurities, and half of them can’t pay … their utilities. So (the raise) would be a little over the top for me right now.”
Both Smith and Brandon said Verdell has done an excellent job leading the department since she was hired and would support a less substantial raise for her efforts.
Board member Shane Tompkins declined to comment on Verdell’s request when reached by The Dispatch on Tuesday.
Neither board president Brandy Gardner nor board member Stephanie Gale responded to requests for comment Tuesday.
Smith said the board has been split on the matter so far, and he believes the vote will reflect that.
“I would hope that … the board as a whole would come to some type of consensus, but I don’t think it’s going to be (a) unanimous (decision),” Smith said. “I really don’t.”
Comparing the numbers
Verdell in the May letter outlined several accomplishments over her tenure, including securing more than $11 million in grant funding for projects, including infrastructure improvements, new electrical vehicle charging stations and utility enhancements.
Beyond helping to receive those funds, Verdell also noted she has worked to continue improving the electrical and water divisions’ overall effectiveness through efforts like an improved outage management system, her continued work on CLW’s water meter replacement plan and continued efforts to streamline both the electrical and water departments.
Smith said part of his challenge with Verdell’s request is not in her ability but is more based on where her new salary would compare with other utility general managers in the area.
Edward Kemp, who runs the similarly sized Starkville Utilities, makes a salary of $185,215. 4-County General Manager Brian Clark makes $276,820, but the nine-county area the cooperative serves includes almost twice as many customers as CLW.
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