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Metroparks’ exec Young receives contract extension, pay raise
YOUNGSTOWN
A three-year rollover contract and a pay increase was approved by the Mill Creek Metroparks Board of Directors on Monday for Executive Director Aaron Young.
The new contract – when added to the remaining two years of his current contract – will keep him in his position through 2022.
Along with the contract extension, Young will receive a pay increase; a 5 percent increase in 2017 followed by 3 percent increases each year after.
After the pay raise, Young’s salary in 2017 will be $97,125. His final salary in 2022 will be $112,594.
Lee Frey, board president, said the salary increase will bring Young up to a “midrange” salary based on a 2009 board salary suggestion.
“Compared to other parks, what we’re offering is low, and we’ll stay low,” Frey said.
He compared Young’s salary to other, similarly sized parks in the region.
“Toledo Metroparks pays their executive director $149,000. Five Rivers [in Vandalia, Ohio] pays theirs $147,000, and Hamilton Metroparks pays theirs $152,000,” he said.
Frey joined the board after a controversial staff shake-up that included the dismissal of many longtime park employees that Young implemented in early 2016. He said Young had been cooperative and receptive to the board’s policy advisements.
“I came in after all of that, and since I’ve been here, he has done everything we as a board have advised him to do,” Frey said. “He’s a rules guy, and he plays by the rules – even when we advised for policy that limited his powers, he went along with us.”
Young said he was happy to continue acting as executive director and looks forward to continuing to implement a five-year plan he developed for the parks.
“I’m just pleased to get to continue to serve at the park with the strong team we’ve developed,” he said. “We’ve seen great results so far in 2017, and I’m excited to see the full five years to completion.”