MONROE - A resolution approved by the city's Common Council Tuesday will boost the paychecks of about 30 department heads and non-union workers by a total of $87,200, or 5.45 percent compared to 2014.
The increases are included in the 2015 budget, passed by the council in early November.
The aggregate amount comes from a series of pay increases based on the city's new compensation plan of grades and steps, merit pay, reclassification of job titles and a cost of living increase (COLA).
All the pay increases include a COLA of 1.626 percent, or between $586 and $1,566, for 2015.
But, under the new plan, some workers got up to three different increases for the new year.
An automatic step increase, based on years worked and performance expectations, allowed 17 workers an increase of between 1.65 to 2.83 percent, for a total of $16,350. Merit pay increases of between 1.44 to 1.68 percent, based on performance evaluations, gave a total of $5,400 to five employees. Individually, these two types of increases ranged from $642 to $1,364.
The largest increases, from reclassification of positions, based on changes in job description, added workload or additional responsibility, resulted in increases in a pay grade or step for four workers. These pay increases included 4.79 percent, or $2,267, for the Utilities Finance and Budget Manager; 7.73 percent, or $4,609, for the Director of Finance; 14.17 percent, or $6,497, for the Assistant Administrator; and 14.59 percent, or $12,269, for the City Administrator.
The highest pay increase for 2015 is for City Administrator Phil Rath, whose salary will rise from $81,340 to $97,900, from combined increases of $16,600.
The marked increases did not get full council approval, but passed on a 7-2 vote, with aldermen Michael Boyce and Chris Beer voting against.
Boyce raised his objection to the salary increases early in the voting process, by first motioning for permission from the council to speak in open session about a discussion that took place in a closed council meeting during a city administrator performance review in October. His motion was seconded by Louis Armstrong, and passed on a 6-3 vote. Brooke Bauman, Charles Koch and Reid Stangel voted against.
Having received a majority of votes on his motion, Boyce explained that he supported the city's compensation plan for pay grades and steps, because, he said, it gives certainty to the employees' income expectations. He also approved the performance pay increase plan and the COLA increases.
Boyce added, however, that during an October closed session, in which Rath advocated for the 2015 pay increases that were to approach market pay rates, performance incentives and "because we didn't want to lose him," the council asked Rath "in return, to work for a zero percent levy increase."
Rath brought to the Finance and Taxation Committee table a city budget requiring about $6.25 million in city property taxes, slightly less than the $6.27 million needed in 2013. But he also advised the city pay off $480,000 in outstanding debt, raising the 2015 levy requirement to $6.73 million.
The council passed the higher levy budget in November on a 6-2 vote. The 2015 levy amount is $461,000 higher, or 7.35 percent more than it was in 2014. Beer and Louis Armstrong voted against that budget. Boyce was absent for a family emergency.
On Tuesday, Boyce said he was "frustrated," given that the council would be granting the raises, but, "the other half of the bargain got lost in the process," and a tax increase was the result.
Beer also commented that the process for approving resolutions had reverted to "back-to-back meetings" from committee to council, leaving council members no time to consider them. The pay increases were recommended by the Salary and Personnel Committee, which adjourned about 7:10 p.m. Tuesday. Beer, a member of the committee, voted against recommendation to council. Council meetings begin at 7:30 p.m.
The increases are included in the 2015 budget, passed by the council in early November.
The aggregate amount comes from a series of pay increases based on the city's new compensation plan of grades and steps, merit pay, reclassification of job titles and a cost of living increase (COLA).
All the pay increases include a COLA of 1.626 percent, or between $586 and $1,566, for 2015.
But, under the new plan, some workers got up to three different increases for the new year.
An automatic step increase, based on years worked and performance expectations, allowed 17 workers an increase of between 1.65 to 2.83 percent, for a total of $16,350. Merit pay increases of between 1.44 to 1.68 percent, based on performance evaluations, gave a total of $5,400 to five employees. Individually, these two types of increases ranged from $642 to $1,364.
The largest increases, from reclassification of positions, based on changes in job description, added workload or additional responsibility, resulted in increases in a pay grade or step for four workers. These pay increases included 4.79 percent, or $2,267, for the Utilities Finance and Budget Manager; 7.73 percent, or $4,609, for the Director of Finance; 14.17 percent, or $6,497, for the Assistant Administrator; and 14.59 percent, or $12,269, for the City Administrator.
The highest pay increase for 2015 is for City Administrator Phil Rath, whose salary will rise from $81,340 to $97,900, from combined increases of $16,600.
The marked increases did not get full council approval, but passed on a 7-2 vote, with aldermen Michael Boyce and Chris Beer voting against.
Boyce raised his objection to the salary increases early in the voting process, by first motioning for permission from the council to speak in open session about a discussion that took place in a closed council meeting during a city administrator performance review in October. His motion was seconded by Louis Armstrong, and passed on a 6-3 vote. Brooke Bauman, Charles Koch and Reid Stangel voted against.
Having received a majority of votes on his motion, Boyce explained that he supported the city's compensation plan for pay grades and steps, because, he said, it gives certainty to the employees' income expectations. He also approved the performance pay increase plan and the COLA increases.
Boyce added, however, that during an October closed session, in which Rath advocated for the 2015 pay increases that were to approach market pay rates, performance incentives and "because we didn't want to lose him," the council asked Rath "in return, to work for a zero percent levy increase."
Rath brought to the Finance and Taxation Committee table a city budget requiring about $6.25 million in city property taxes, slightly less than the $6.27 million needed in 2013. But he also advised the city pay off $480,000 in outstanding debt, raising the 2015 levy requirement to $6.73 million.
The council passed the higher levy budget in November on a 6-2 vote. The 2015 levy amount is $461,000 higher, or 7.35 percent more than it was in 2014. Beer and Louis Armstrong voted against that budget. Boyce was absent for a family emergency.
On Tuesday, Boyce said he was "frustrated," given that the council would be granting the raises, but, "the other half of the bargain got lost in the process," and a tax increase was the result.
Beer also commented that the process for approving resolutions had reverted to "back-to-back meetings" from committee to council, leaving council members no time to consider them. The pay increases were recommended by the Salary and Personnel Committee, which adjourned about 7:10 p.m. Tuesday. Beer, a member of the committee, voted against recommendation to council. Council meetings begin at 7:30 p.m.