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Mellor negotiations continue

School Board discusses finance director compensation

Mike McCollum

Steamboat Springs — Steamboat Springs School District Finance Director Dale Mellor and the Steamboat Springs School Board may be close to reaching a financial settlement to compensate Mellor for the six weeks this fall he filled in as superintendent. — Steamboat Springs School District Finance Director Dale Mellor and the Steamboat Springs School Board may be close to reaching a financial settlement to compensate Mellor for the six weeks this fall he filled in as superintendent.

— Steamboat Springs School District Finance Director Dale Mellor and the Steamboat Springs School Board may be close to reaching a financial settlement to compensate Mellor for the six weeks this fall he filled in as superintendent.

Mellor told school district officials two weeks ago that he’d like to be financially compensated for his work during the period between the buyout of former Superintendent Donna Howell’s contract in August and the hiring of interim Superintendent Sandra Smyser in October.

On Nov. 26, the School Board directed board member Denise Connelly to meet with Mellor. The two met shortly before Monday’s board meeting so Connelly could get a better understanding of the additional duties Mellor took on as acting superintendent.



“It was a good way to get an idea of time and duties,” Connelly said. “And it was to also talk about different alternatives to compensation and ways of going about how to get a handle on what’s fair.”

Connelly noted the School Board and Mellor have not reached an agreement on a compensation package. Whatever agreement is made must be voted on in regular session.



“There were some numbers tossed around, but we have not gotten to a point where we have talked about that specifically,” she said.

The School Board met in executive session at the beginning of Monday’s meeting to discuss with Connelly the details of her first negotiating meeting with Mellor.

“Denise is going to go back and talk with Dale one more time, bring the information to our next meeting, where we will go into executive session to discuss more of what we discussed tonight,” School Board President Robin Crossan said.

“We’ll come back out and have a conversation in public,” she said. “Our goal is to make a decision at that meeting on Dec. 17.”

Mellor’s base salary for the 2007-08 school year is $87,231. Howell’s salary was $145,229, and Smyser is being paid $102,353 under her prorated contract. Her base salary is similar to Howell’s when calculated over a full work year.

Mellor wouldn’t discuss the specifics of his negotiation with Connelly after the School Board’s meeting Monday.

“Maybe we’ll get something done next time,” he said.

– To reach Mike McCollum, call 871-4208

or e-mail mmccollum@steamboatpilot.com


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