Officials' pay raises stir controversy in Royal Oak Township
Elected officials in one of Michigan's smallest and poorest communities are facing criticism from residents after approving pay raises for themselves amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The salary hikes, approved by the Royal Oak Township trustees late last month, include a 25% increase for Supervisor Donna Squalls, from $20,000 to $25,000 a year; 87.5% for Clerk Gwendolyn Turner, from $8,000 to $15,000; and 21.4% for newly elected Treasurer Patricia Singley, from $14,000 to $17,000. All three are members of the township's Board of Trustees; the other four members received per diem increases that wi...