City salaries up more than 1.5 percent
9:09 p.m. Thursday, August 7, 2008
The City Manager called for a 1.5 percent salary raise for city workers, but most will see a 3 percent increase. It's not a mistake and some employees will see as much as a 5 percent increase.
"If [employees] get a satisfactory rating on their performance appraisal, depending again on what labor agreement you work under, you're gonna get a step increase," said Budget and Finance Director Jim Langford.
That step increase is usually about 1.5 percent. When added to the 1.5 percent cost of living increase and you get the 3 percent jump.
However, those on fixed salaries, like City Council members, the Mayor and even City Manager Bonaparte, are actually losing money in the proposed budget.
"Odd as it seems, 2008 being a leap year had an extra day in there," Langford said. "So if you had a salary that's pretty much frozen from year to year, the amount of money it takes to pay you from one year to the next may go down slightly."
City Leader's Salaries for 2008-2009*
City Manager – $144,109
Deputy City Manager – $118,894
Chief of Police – $110,643
Fire Chief – $104,562
Director of Public Works – $101,025
Director of Budget and Finance – $100,485
Mayor – $23,599
*These figures are based on the city's proposed budget for 2009.
Tight economic times have forced some organizations to freeze salaries to cut costs, but the City opted not to do that out of what Langford says is a concern for employees.
"It just would not be fair to our employees not to provide some sort of increase," he said. "These people have families, and everything they do costs more."
But the City still faces a balancing act, between paying its employees more, and charging you more on your property taxes. So instead of the 2 percent cost of living increase city workers got last year, this year, it went down to 1.5 percent.
"We had to stay within the parameters that were set down with the City Manager for any kind of property tax mill levy increase and that's what we can afford," Langford said.
Even though city employees' salaries are going up by about 3 percent, they aren't staying current with the national inflation rate. Langford said the national inflation rate is 5 percent.
One-on-one interviews with city leaders
You asked, and 49 News' Kendall Jones got answers. He took your concerns and questions to city leaders and these are the stories that came from that initiative:
- 49 News sits down with Police Chief Ron Miller (July 30, 2008)
- 49 News sits down with Deputy City Manager Randy Speaker (July 23, 2008)
- 49 News sits down with City Manager Norton Bonaparte (July 16, 2008)
- 49 News sits down with Mayor Bill Bunten (July 9, 2008)
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