On Jan. 6, I attended the Delta County Board of Commissioners reorganization meeting.

On their agenda, under new business was the discussion regarding the position of the emergency management coordinator salary.

Commissioner Kelli VanGinhoven made a motion for a salary of $72,000 for the emergency management coordinator job. Commissioners Matthew Jensen and Christine Williams of the finance committee wanted a salary of $69,000. Jensen continued pontificating for his reasons/rationality of $69,000 and in the same breath talked about all the increased responsibilities of an emergency management coordinator has and yet he voted no, along with Williams, John Malnar and Patrick Johnson.

In the discussion, Commissioner Johnson asked, “What’s the job description like between Menominee, Marquette, Houghton? Do they have similar responsibilities? Does one get paid more because they have more responsibilities?”

He then stated, “I would want to know that information. Like, does Menominee rope in ‘He also sweeps the floor’ or something. Does he have more duties than what our EM has? Or does he have less duties?”

I’m offended by Johnson’s remark, “He also sweeps the floor” — like does he have more duties than what ours has?

Apparently, Johnson doesn’t understand the magnitude and importance of the emergency management coordinator’s job for Delta County.

Going back to “He also sweeps the floor …” The emergency management coordinator’s job encompasses all of the schools in Delta County. We send our children off to school daily and hope they come home to their families. Our children and this county deserve more than “Oh, he sweeps the floor …”

Our children are worth more!