BY GEORGIA LEONHART CAPE GAZETTE
Funds Part of Approved Budget
Dewey Beach – Dewey Beach Mayor Dell Tush and her husband Larry provided Christmas dinner for town employees, highlighted by delivery of bonus checks by Town Manager Gordon Elliott.
Elliott was told Monday Dec. 22, that despite the town’s looming $700,000 budget deficit, bonuses would be paid this year. “It would have been the first time I can recall that there would have been no holiday bonus,” said Elliott, who has worked for the town for 25 years. “All the employees are very grateful.”
“We think the world of the people who work for Dewey. I just wanted them to know how much they are appreciated for all they do for the town,” the mayor said in a Monday, Dec. 29 interview. Tush, who has spoken out during recent public meetings in support of maintaining employee wages and benefits, strongly supported employee bonuses.
Mary Nelson, a member of the budget and finance committee, said she contacted Commissioner Marc Appelbaum, who chairs the budget and finance committee, after hearing that Dewey’s employees might not receive their annual bonuses.
Nelson said the bonuses were part of the approved 2008 budget and already counted as part of the town’s deficit.
Dewey Has Obligation
“We have an obligation to be the ‘best’ employer which in turn attracts the best and loyal employees who are hard to come by, and the bonus is a thank you from the property owners which the council members took an oath to represent,” Nelson wrote in an email.
Tush said she received emails from some commissioners, but ultimately it didn’t matter because the commissioners had voted to approve the bonuses when the budget was approved a year ago.
“I consulted with the town attorney who indicated that because it was put into the budget and voted on with the approval of the budget, it was appropriate to give it to them. Because of this, the employees were given their bonus, as they should have been,” Tush said.
Tush said $4,800 is a small price to pay to keep the employees happy.
“Some people might be upset, but I believe it was the right thing and the best thing to do for the town,” she said.
Tush said since the employees didn’t have a Christmas party, “Larry and I decided to have the dinner at our house and have everyone come here.”
The gathering included employees, spouses, children and grandchildren. “The men and their families really appreciated it,” said Police Chief Sam Mackert.