For the second straight year, members of the Empire Township Board aren’t seeking salary increases.

At their meeting Tuesday night, township board members unanimously adopted four separate salary resolutions that did not seek increases for any position.

“I favor leaving everything the way it is,” said Supervisor Bill Bolton.

“With the economy showing little or no improvement, I wouldn’t favor an increase for my position,” said Clerk Christine Neiswonger.

The township’s Annual Meeting will be held on March 27, starting at 10 a.m. As part of the meeting the township electors – property owners and township residents – may act upon township board members’ salaries. If the electors do nothing, the salary resolutions would go into effect when the new fiscal year starts on April 1. Or, they may increase the salaries as they see fit. The electors may not lower the board members’ salaries below their existing level, however.

If no action is taken at the Annual Meeting, the Empire Township Board members salaries will remain at the following levels: Supervisor Bolton, $7,200; Clerk Neiswonger, $20,000; Treasurer Cheryl Manning, $18,240; and Trustees Carl Noonan and Phil Deering, $1,200 each.

In other business during its meeting, the board:

• Decided to take no action on a phragmites control ordinance suggested by the county Soil Conservation District. Bolton said with only six miles of Lake Michigan shoreline to deal with, most of which is controlled either by the Village of Empire or the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, he didn’t feel it was necessary for the township to enact an ordinance that would govern fewer than 10 lots. Neiswonger said she talked with Daniel Schillinger, a contracted employee with the district, about the ordinance and she agreed with Bolton the ordinance wasn’t necessary since there wasn’t any of the invasive species plant found on the shoreline in the township.

• Unanimously approved increasing fees at the township campground for the 2010 season. The cost per night for a rustic site increased from $16 to $18; for electric sites, $20 to $24; and for group sites, $24 to $30. The cost for three minutes of shower time jumps from 25 cents to 50 cents and the township also approved charging a $1 use fee plus shower time to individuals who use the showers but are not camping at the campground. Neiswonger said campers from the D. H. Day campground near Glen Arbor occasionally use the Empire showers.

The board also approved a recommendation from last season’s managers Tom and Kay Rose to give the managers one day off a week and reduce hours on Sundays. Neiswonger said the couple wants the township to double the manager’s monthly salary from $1,000 a month to $2,000 with no bonus. The township campground is open five months, May through September. The board agreed to offer that rate to the Roses if they decide to come back for 2010. If not, the salary will remain $1,000 a month and township will advertise the position.

• Unanimously reappointed Dick Figura and Duane Shugart to the planning commission for three-year terms.