Proposed Pay Increases on City Council’s Monday Agenda – Update
February 5th, 2016 by Joe Burgess
Monday night, the City Council, at 6pm, to discuss he proposed salary scale for city employees..
The Mayor’s request regarding salaries requested a plan to “levelize” the varying salaries among workers, from when there were fewer pay guidelines.
Posted below (from an earlier article) are the current and proposed salaries for the city employees that will earn over $40,000, and the employees that are scheduled to receive over a $3,000 pay increase, plus a couple of other positions, of public interest.
Position Years Proposed Salary Current Salary
ADMINISTRATION
Administrative Asst—–0—– $25,292.29 $18,720.00
Finance Director —–3 —–$52,956.43 $39,033.80
Asst to the Mayor —–1 —–$37,142.57 $35,006.40
Mayor 1 —–$63,603.80—– $63,603.80
WATER DEPARTMENT
Water Operator 26 $48,462.63 $48,354.02
Water Office Mgr 7 $45,680.68 $44,914.22
Water Clerk II 1 $25,292.29 $18,720.00
Water Clerk II – $25,292.29 $18,720.00
SEWER DEPARTMENT
Asst PW Supt/Sewer Supr16 $43,058.42 $34,465.60
STREET DEPARTMENT
Fleet Mechanic 5 $44,350.18 $43,576.00
Public Works Super19 $49,916.51 $49,462.40
PARKS DEPARTMENT
Parks Lead 9 $30,200.31 $21,715.20
Parks Supervisor 2 $37,142.57 $29,993.60
Parks Laborer 31 $25,292.29 $24,273.60
FIRE DEPARTMENT
AsstFire Chief 7 $37,142.57 $32,814.60
Fire Chief 7 $44,350.18 $42,437.20
The police dept. has 6 supervisory staff that make over $40,000.
MLive spoke to Mayor Zack Tucker, recently, who told us that the proposed changes started with a Municipal League survey of what other cities with 10,000-20,000 residents paid their employees. Those cities took positions and graded them into a scale, based on years of service.
Tucker also commented that the finance director did not receive a increase when she took that position. – (without the 3% cost of living) She i currently getting paid the same as when she was an accountant. After the pay change, she will still be making less than the previous financial director did.
The sewer supervisor also didn’t get a raise when made super and when he became fill in for his supervisor. The city also plans on levelizing on-call pay, which should greatly decrease over time pat for this position.
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How can the finance director get a $13,000 raise? WHY such a huge raise? Can the city really afford that?
The mayor is an elected position why should he earn over 50,000 a year this mayor needs to earn around 35 a year too bad we can’t vote on this
Dispatch Lt. Makes $40,586.69? Officers / Deputies don’t get paid that much.
Assistant to Mayor paid $37,142.57?
Why should Mayor make $63,603.80 if he has an assistant making that much?
This is crazy as heck and our tax dollars shouldn’t be used for positions like these. They are not life threatening jobs nor are they jobs that require training for months at a time. Mayor is an elected position and all he does is walk around with a too short of a sleeved jacket and a comb over.
Assistant to the Mayor was brought in while Mayor Maxwell was in Office and was not needed when better Mayors were in that position. Mayor Jordan didn’t need an assistant. I guess since the Event Center didn’t pass they figured they might as well put money in pockets. Don’t get me wrong I am not hating on the fact of raises but I know people working for the city and county that need it more then they do. Give it to the real workers and the ones putting their lives on the line not a young mayor and his assistant.
If you get a chance, check out the City of Warren Salaries for 2016, recently posted. Interesting.
Why does the mayor need an assistant? Wasted money! This was a position created when the new mayor took office. If the mayor can’t do do his job on a $62,000+ salary without an assistant maybe he have that position! Where are the increases for the employees who actually get their hands dirty and break a sweat? I saw the salary for the Neighboring town of Warren, which was 42,000+. Monticello is slightly larger, but $20,000 a year more for the mayor??? I don’t think so!
I cannot locate a link for the City of Warren salaries so I don’t have the information to compare, but it does occur to me that Warren is only about one-third the size of Monticello.
The mayor makes sixty plus and gets two years for one year of retiremen.Should he get that when the hard working man gets one year for one year of work.
So you mean to me that the mayor has to have an assistant to help him do his job and GETS PAID 35,000 A YEAR?!?!?!OUR Police or emergency workers don’t even get paid that much. Are you kidding me!! And then the mayor’s makes 60,000+, shouldn’t need a assistant or if he does then the assistant’s salary should come out of the mayor’s salary!!
How can these people get raises when you have deputies risking their lives and making the bare minimum. With all of the crime around our town lately I would think it be wise to invest in our law enforcement officers that are out there risking their lives to keep us safe. We expect them to be on the streets all night away from their families and putting their lives in danger every time they step into a car and how do we repay them? By giving the mayor and his ASSISTANT a raise and keep law enforcement at the same pitiful pay … Just crazy.
I’m not quite sure what the salary was previously for these positions, but I’m smart enough to see that they are not dispersed evenly. I’m sure the mayor does a lot of work, but no offense, I work 50+ hours a week and don’t even make $40,000; and yes I have 6 years of education (BA and MA). I think there’s a huge discrepancy between the mayor here and mayor’s in other places. Where was the location of the survey? Was it higher cost of living areas? As stated, I know he works, but I think anyone making that much should be in a job where you go to work daily wondering if you’re going to come home. Trust me, it’s a scary feeling. Even the fire chief only makes over $44 and he has more experience.
Warren is only one-third the size of Monticello??? What kind of fantasy world are you people living in??!!
Does not show a lot of leadership to use other cities as justification for salary increases. Salaries paid should be dependent on supply and demand. What are people willing to do the job for? What does it take to hire qualified people? It really shows a lack of concern for tax dollars to give a 35% pay raise to any existing employee. Obviously they worked for 35% less last year. Not that I’m against pay raises but I never heard of a 35% raise without taking on a whole lot more responsibility or a big promotion. If these other cities lead their population into bankruptcy, and many will, is Monticello going to follow.
I am glad to see the city propose a decent salary for its employees. Including the ones who do all the thinking. We don’t pay our elected positions enough to rival the salaries they could be making. Arkansas pays many of its elected officials so little that only the. Independently wealthy or retired folks with means can office to participate in public service. I drive around town and see those freedom isn’t free stickers on plenty of tailgates. The sticker is correct. That freedom costs tax dollars. It doesn’t always have to cost lives. But it always has to cost money. There is no single factory coming back to town to employ hundreds of folks. Never again will there be a Burlington. It will be a combination of small niche production facilities, hospitality, restaurant, and support services that make a web of successful infrascture. The city needs a mayor that understands how both urban and rural economic infrasctures and fostered, nurtured, and harvested. Folks you don’t learn this managing your welding shop, chicken farm, or burn piles. You learn this by investing years and money into an education. People who do that require a salary fitting their training
Compare their salaries to Warrens and see the huge difference! ttp://salineriverchronicle.blogspot.com/2016/02/city-of-warren-salaries-for-2016.html#more