Update: The story below, along with the headline, has been updated to more precisely reflect the fact that Brian Zimmerman’s salary increase was voted on by the Board of Park Commissioners. It previously had stated that Zimmerman gave himself the raise. Updates below are bolded.
Just like every year, Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman has received a substantial annual raise. But his pay increase for 2016 is his largest and most brazen since he took over the park district in 2010.
As authorized by the Board of Park Commissioners, Zimmerman will be making $220,000 in base salary this year. That represents a $35,000 raise.
Not only does the raise fly in the face of previous recommendations by salary consultants, it required a restructuring of a contract that that was voted on in December, 2014, with built-in raises and perks.
The Board of Park Commissioners approved Zimmerman’s new contract at the January 27, 2016 board meeting, and they did so as stealthily as possible. As with all compensation matters, the CEO’s pay was discussed in a closed-door “executive session.”
When the commissioners returned, they “moved on an action to deal with executive compensation.”
“The recommended action,” said commissioner Debbie Berry, “addresses both the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer’s salary adjustment. It will be submitted in writing for the record.” (You can hear the very brief announcement in section B of the 1/27 audio).
The details of that “adjustment” only emerged when the minutes of the meeting were posted this week.
Zimmerman’s 2015 salary was an already gaudy $185,000, and his three-year contract (established in December, 2014) stipulated a maximum 3.95-percent merit raise each year. The 3.95-percent merit raise is still intact in the restructured contract, (not that it signifies much).
Also in December, 2014, the commissioners adopted the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) “Fringe Benefit Pick Up Plan for the Chief Executive Officer.” Zimmerman also drives a new Jeep SUV that he got in 2015, with civilian plates, courtesy of the Metroparks.
The item above reveals that in November, the Board of Park Commissioners “engaged” the executive compensation firm Pay Governance to “research and review” direct compensation relative to the CEO and CFO. As a result, Zimmerman’s employment agreement was modified.
There is no record of a Pay Governance review in any of the Metroparks’ November board-meeting documents. But Board President Dan Moore, at the meeting Thursday morning, defended the pedigree of Pay Governance and said that anyone could have access to the firm’s recommendations.
From the Pay Governance LLC website: “Our work helps to ensure that our clients’ executive rewards programs are strongly aligned with performance and supportive of appropriate corporate governance practices.”
Pay Governance’s local Partner Donald Kokoskie declined to comment on his involvement in the compensation review, or even to say if his team produced a paper document, advising Scene to speak with the Metroparks instead. Both Metroparks Marketing Director Sanaa Julien and Communications Director Rick Haase were unavailable for comment Wednesday, in meetings most of the day.
Wednesday evening, Julien told Scene by email that our questions — how much did the review by Pay Governance cost? Why was the firm “engaged” in the first place? — required some research, but she would respond as soon as possible. We’ll update with info when we receive it.
Zimmerman arrived at the Metroparks in 2010 with a salary of $145,000. Every year, he’s received decadent raises authorized, as always, by the Board of Park Commissioners. In 2013, Cleveland.com’s Mark Naymik and Scene both cried foul when Zimmerman’s annual pay was raised from $165,000 to $178,000 on the heels of the tax levy.
(Zimmerman’s salary is funded by taxpayers, which is why we tend to make such a stink about it.)
In 2011, the Metroparks hired salary consultants to pave the way for raises down the road. Three pay grades were added on top of the existing executive pay scale. The maximum salary established at that time was $204,000, more than anyone in the history of the park system had ever made. Zimmerman, though, (whose apologists cite the impressive waterfront development under his leadership and his expanded role as “CEO” vs. “Executive Director”), was still a couple of years away from the $204,000 threshold.
But now, disregarding that pay scale entirely, Zimmerman has been launched into the stratosphere. The board vote was outside the public eye, and no explanation for the raise was provided until Scene published the first version of this story Thursday.
Were this a gossip column, we’d mention that in January, Metroparks’ CFO Dave Kuntz jumped ship to take a position at Tri-C. There, as executive vice president of finance and administration he makes — you guessed it — $220,000.
This is speculation, but those familiar with how Zimmerman operates said they could easily see him pouting about a former underling getting a new job making more money than he does, and then finding a firm to justify an increase to put him at the same level.
Kuntz did not respond to requests for comment by phone or email Wednesday.
This article appears in Feb 17-23, 2016.
I don’t think anyone is going to mind, the parks have been consistently well maintained, and they have greatly improved the security, quality and upkeep of the lakefront parks. The guy can have a raise every year he keeps doing stuff like this for all I care.
I’m not really all the surprised that Zimmerman would do something of this nature. I understand that the parks are wonderful, and I totally agree, and there have been many positive additions that the Metroparks have made over the last few years, but that is the work of a group of people, not just the CEO. If there are restrictions in place for salary compensation, they should be adhered to, especially because it is taxpayer money that could be going directly into the parks. Unfortunately Brian treats the park system more like a business and less like a park system. Maybe someone should look closer to how things are being operated inside the organization, as people who have worked for the parks for decades have left or are being forced to leave. The turnover in certain departments is remarkable.
There aren’t political ramifications — since the levy campaigns are slam-dunks.
The Metroparks are one of the best parts about living in Northeast Ohio. Given the size, scale and ongoing success of the Metroparks organization, $220,000 is not that bad. I’d rather see a successful leader paid a bit more, publicly, on the front end than find out five years from now the park system has a deficit because he was stealing on the back end. Good leaders are hard to come by and if an extra $35,000 is required to retain him so be it.
Well Sam … It appears that people are not as appalled as you tried to make them with this slanted article.
When you make that much, you’d assume one could afford a tailored suit. What a douche. Money that could go into the parks goes into his oversized blazer pocket.
@Mr. Keith: Author here. Quite a lot of people seem to think that because the Metroparks have acquired new properties and expanded the areas in which they operate — they’re now in the restaurant business — Brian Zimmerman is entitled to big pay raises as a reward for a job well done. I understand that line of thinking in principle, but I just disagree. He’s done great work on a number of things (and awful work on others), but his salary is ballooning at an unprecedented rate. He’s no longer even in the vicinity of other top public leaders in the region. (Mayor: $136K, County Executive: $175K). I’m not pretending to be unbiased. I happen to think this is a misuse of public funds. I don’t expect everyone to share my frustrations, but as a reporter I feel entitled — in fact I feel obligated — to point stuff like this out. Modeling public organizations after corporate America has its costs. And greed is probably chief among them.
The most anyone has earned? Should the current CEO be earning less than a CEO from 2005? No matter the industry, people need to be paid for their experience and expertise. If we pay mediocre wages, would we accept mediocracy in the park system in return? The Board approved it – the board is comprised of strong, honest leaders. Perhaps they know something about running the parks and how much to pay the CEO.
All these rich conservatives commenting that seem to think it’s perfectly ok for this jamoke to give himself such outrageous salaries, can pony up the bucks when we turn down the next levy the park system will certainly come begging for. Outrageous! REMEMBER LEVY TIME! SAY NO!!
this article states that pay raises were capped at 204k in 2011. That study must have been legally binding. It seems ridiculous that the parks director, I’m not using the title CEO, the parks director pay some consulting firm to say he deserves a raise. Who is this guys boss? Somewhere in the hierarchy there must be a public official that can be voted out.
Please, he is worth EVERY PENNY! He is doing an unbelievable job and has added a lot of new beaches and parks since he arrived and they are creatively coming up with income streams like Merwins wharf and Rivergate park and the concert series at Edgewater. He’s doing more as a public official then 90% of the elected officials and our town. His good work has actually made me want to return to Edgewater Park for the first time in 20 yrs. love this guy. We need to keep him. Dont Think we’ve ever voted down 11 B to support the Metroparks it’s one of the five most important quality of life features in her town. I hear it every day from the hundreds of families we’ve moved to Northeast Ohio from all over the world and we cannot underestimate his value to us
And how is that “reporting” when you admit you are biased – did you learn nothing in journalism school about presenting all the facts and letting the readers make an educated decision? Sigh
I voted for the levy increase and agree its a gem and agree its well maintained, but that was true before this guy came along. If the pay wasnt commensurate with similar pay scales, it should gave been addressed initially and nominal pay increases based on merit after that. Sure Brian Zimmerman deserves a raise, but a $35,000 increase on a salary of $185,000 is almost 20% and is egregious. For those of you in la la land that thinks thats acceptable, ask yourself what kind of job you did last year and what was your pay increase. Sam was right to put a tone of outrage in his article.
Who in the hell gets an automatic merit raise every year? At the end of his new amended contract Brian Zimmerman will be making almost $250,000 a year. If he continues and gets another 3 year extension he’ll be making upwards of almost $300,000 a year. People in Cuyahoga County need to wake up to this money grab. This salary is outlandish. Brian will tell you he’s worth it because he’s turned the Metro Parks into a profit center. Then why is there a need for continued levies? The Ohio Attorney General’s Office should do a full scale investigation on the Metro Parks and this mismanagement of tax payer funds.
@MargyRussellJudd: Author here. I think the standard of absolute objectivity in (at least certain pieces of) journalism is a weird one. That’s what I expect from an encyclopedia, not from a human reporter who has spent considerable time and research on a subject.
At any rate, I did my best to present the facts above. The reason why the quote unquote “other side’s perspective” isn’t represented is because they didn’t respond to my questions. It’s not like I didn’t give them an opportunity.
My broader take: We should expect leaders to defend moves like this one, esp. when they involve public funds. I don’t know why in this town, everyone rushes to defend the leaders before they even know what’s up. The onus should be on the leaders to fully justify their decisions, and more so when they attempted to make them behind the scenes.
@Parklover: Zimmerman’s compensation will never be confused with mediocre wages.
Also, for all you Metroparks lovers — I count myself among you — have you noticed that, increasingly, we have to pay a lot more for things? Both Zoo and Golf rates are rising in 2016. In at least one event, attendees had to pay for parking. Expensive beer is omnipresent. It bothers me that while we’re paying more in levy form (and as executive salaries continue to rise) we’re *ALSO* paying more for services and experiences that an expanded levy should have helped subsidize.
A normal human being would be grateful of the individuals involved in getting the park this way. That’s 35, $1,000 increases for people working their a$$ off. If we are paying this from our taxes, shouldn’t we vote on who runs this, and what my money is going towards?
Side note, Michael Durkalec should not only have a $25,000 dollar a year increase but he should also be the park director. His people skills are top notch, and I haven’t EVER heard one single soul of the thousands, that know this man, speak one negstive thing of him. He brings a respectable crowd to the table that spends boatloads for our local fishing economy year in and year out. Respectfully a pissed off citizen.
Good for him. I think everyone in the world would give themselves a raise if they could. This is why I can’t stand the scene magazine, their authors are horrible and the editor is a chump.
As a Cleveland Metroparks retiree , I can tell you the powers that be have lost their way. Yes, Brian has done good things but the monetary pat on the back has not made it’s way down to the worker bees who are face-to-face serving the public and resource everyday. I was one of the worker bees and loved my job, sharing nature with others. The underlings are tasked with doing more, more, more with less, less, less. Would I vote for the next levy? Yes, but not because of Cleveland Metroparks, Inc. and the myriad of out-of-touch Chiefs. I’d vote “yes” because of the hundreds of creative, passionate, hardworking, honest folks in the field who are dedicated to the big conservation and education picture and for the whole reason the park district exists – the natural and cultural resources.
I can’t provide testimony as to what Zimmerman has done or whether it justifies a raise of $35k to $220k. I do be4lieve that a mian reason the Metroparks are such a gem and asset to Cleveland is because of the leadership of Fred Rzepka, who was Board chair for 12 years. I would be kind of surprised if this raise would have been approved if Mr. Rzepka were still in office. This community owes mr. Rzepka, who made not a dime as Board Chair, a great debt of gratitude.
Executives are not the only reason Cleveland Metro Parks are so beautiful. Many staff work exceedingly hard, deliver exceptional vision and work and don’t see increases that cover the cost of living let alone real merit increases. If this guy were a true leader, he’d make sure his most talented, creative and visionary people saw these kinds of increases first. I’m not talking about across the board raises. I’m suggesting real merit increases to those who contribute so much of themselves to ensure the conservation, preservation and enjoyment of so many others.
I appreciate the work of executives and the difficulty of leadership. And to give oneself a raise, and have a board sign off on it, while the most creative, most talented, most dedicated staff can not even earn merit increases that cover their increases in cost of living shows a true lack of leadership. The staff of the Cleveland Metro Parks are what makes these places so beautiful. It is their commitment that ensures the preservation, conservation of these places and the enjoyment of thousands each year. Any leader worth his salt would find a way to take better care of those “at ground level” before providing himself with a raise. Real leadership would have said to the board, “keep it and how do we use it to make it better for those doing the best work?” Merit increases. Not increases across the board.
How about raises for the Rangers who do an outstanding job keeping the thugs at bay and the parks safe for ALL law abiding citizens?
How about a hefty raise for the Metroparks Rangers who risk their lives keeping the thugs out of the park and keeping it safe for ALL people to enjoy.
I think Cleveland Scene is really trying to search for a scandal that doesn’t exist. Parks departments across the country are suffering due to drastic budget cuts and failed levies, and the parks systems that aren’t suffering are the ones that have great leadership that know how to work with local decision-makers and leverage local funds into private, state, and federal funding. It makes complete sense that Brian Zimmerman should be compensated the way he is, considering the Metroparks are the absolute gem of the Cleveland area. The board is probably concerned about keeping him around. Go find some real news, Sam Allard.
The pay is out of line for a public sector executive in the Cleveland area. The director of the National Park Service, who oversees the entire national park system, makes at most $205k…and that is with a DC cost of living, which is much more expensive than Cleveland (think townhouses costing $350K plush in either so so school districts or else 40 plus miles from downtown). Someone previously said that good executives were hard to come by, but I just don’t believe that’s true. There are plenty of highly intelligent, competent people graduating every year with their MBAs, etc…I think the problem we see if executives being drawn from the same small pool of people.
It seems that current Metroparks management has the mindset of running the system and its many parts “as a business”. This looks totally awesome on paper, but businesses of this size in this day and age are usually obsessed with cutting costs to make more room for profits no matter how critical some people are to the success of the company; big businesses today often care little about sharing financial gains with employees or customers. These are not the types of philosophies that should be sought after in a publicly funded organization…rather, offering the maximum quality and quantity of service for a reasonable amount of money while caring for employees across the entire organization is the objective of a well-run publicly funded organization. It’s absurd that executives alone make something as big as the Metroparks awesome and that they therefore get the big bucks for the job EVERYONE is doing together. Dumping heaps of money at the top of any organization while neglecting the rest of it is a sure way to destroy morale, create turnover, reduce quality, and reduce satisfaction. Running a public service like a business works about as well as running a family like a business…money and greed can’t supersede love for the work or it will most certainly fall apart.
This man is a detriment to the metroparks and especially to the coummities that pay him. Wake up and take a real look at what this idiot is doing. He and his cronies have destroyed local history in so many communities even though there were people and money in place to save these old historical buildings. And, it is all done in an underhanded way. $35,000 raise…but they could not allow a community to save historical Worden house in Hinckley. There are many others he decided he would not save. He needs to go, money expenditures need to be sruitinized…someone better wake up and take a look at what is going on there.