Last Monday night the TNT Minor Hockey Association board of directors met for its monthly meeting, resulting in a decision to dissolve the current board as of Nov. 26 and have the membership elect a new one.
The move stems from one of the TNT hockey teams questioning the salary increase of the administrator position, held by Kim Withers. Last September the salary for the position increased from $15,000 a year to $30,000 a year.
"It didn't become public knowledge more or less until this year," said Horan.
She said the board of directors had the understanding that it wasn't to discuss the amount of the raise. She said that the membership, people who pay registration fees and volunteers committing more than 20 hours a year, had voted in the board to run TNT operations, with the raise being one of the board's duties.
"Once we got legal advice they said yes, you have to tell your membership what's going on. So we did and people were asking why she got a 100 per cent raise, did the work she is doing double?" said Horan.
Registration fees pay for the salary of the position. Horan said five years ago the membership voted to have a paid position with the hockey organization at $15,000 a year. After the first year there was a review of the position.
"The review hadn't been done as well as what it should have been. Then next thing you know three years have passed and she never had a raise, the board felt it was time to give her a raise and gave her a raise," said Horan
Horan said it's hard to say whether or not the responsibility of the position has changed.
"Yes the association has grown and there is an awful lot of administrative work to putting the children on the ice," said Horan. "For me to say it's doubled, I can't say that cause I don't know for sure. We need to really investigate it."
An internal committee has been created to look into the administrator's duties. The committee consists of Horan and four other current directors.
She said after this board dissolves, there is the possibility a new board will want an outside person to look at the position.
"That will be up to the new board how they want to handle it," she said.
With the problems in the boardroom, Horan said it isn't going to affect the children who are playing hockey in the system.
"I'm very sorry that it got into this situation, but I want to guarantee the membership that I will do everything I can that this will not affect the children in any way," said Horan.
This is the second minor sports board of directors to run into difficulty in New Tecumseth. The Alliston Minor Soccer Club board of directors has received a petition from its membership, who are unhappy with the way the club is being run. The soccer club has a general meeting planned soon to discuss its problems.
The Nov. 26 meeting to elect a new board will be at the New Tecumseth Recreation Complex at 7:30 p.m.
