A state lawmaker proposed a bill Friday to cap the salaries of University of Wisconsin administrators. Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, announced an initiative to dramatically cut yearly wages. This effort aims to rein in the increasing salaries of UW administrators who earn more annual income than Wisconsin's governor.
"We need to fundamentally change the way the University of Wisconsin is doing business," Vos said in a release. "Currently, they are completely disconnected with the average Wisconsin taxpayer … who is footing the bill for these outrageous salaries."
Vos suggested capping the maximum salary below the governor's yearly wage by $1. According to the 2005-06 Wisconsin Blue Book, Gov. Jim Doyle's current annual salary is listed at $131,768.
UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley — an administrator whose salary would face pay cuts — earns $251,043 by comparison, according to information obtained by The Associated Press.
Though Wiley additionally receives $55,000 from the UW Foundation, these extra funds would not be affected by the bill, which excludes Foundation supplements and private dollars.
While Vos charges that UW administrators' salaries are too high, others maintain that competitive salaries are necessary to retain the state's quality professionals.
The governor, along with other Democrats, raised concerns that the legislation would take away university discretion.
"Although the governor has been extremely disappointed by some of the personnel mismanagement … he also recognizes that we can't hamper our ability to attract the best and brightest researchers and faculty with an arbitrary cap on salaries," Doyle spokesperson Anne Lupardus said.
Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, agreed the Legislature should not interfere in UW salary procedures but allow universities to settle their own management concerns.
"I think it's a bad idea for the Legislature to try to micromanage the university," Black said. "Whenever you have politicians meddling in economic affairs, the result has been a lessening of quality at the university."
Vos, however, argued the state's quality education standards would not be negatively affected by the bill, as public-education administrators are supposed to be driven more by a "higher calling" than a mere paycheck.
According to United Council of UW Students Legislative Affairs Director Brian Tanner, the bill has yet to be examined and weighed against its potentially harmful effects.
"There's a lot of things that need to be looked at, and obviously we're right in the middle of a tough fiscal climate," Tanner said.
He additionally speculated that the bill is in response to a recent call by the UW Board of Regents to increase the minimum salary of top administrative positions.
Additionally, Black pointed to an immovable factor the Legislature may just need to accept — the inflated marketplace of university salaries.
"It's a different marketplace," Black said. "The football coach makes at least five times more than the governor."
UW System spokesperson Doug Bradley did not return calls as of press time.
