A step increase is an increase of 4.5%. It would reward employees who stay with the county. But how would it be funded?
An answer to that question came in a budget amendment reviewed by Council yesterday. It proposes adding $6.6 million to the county's rainy day fund, called the stabilization fund. This would increase it to $20.4 million. This is 15% of the general fund. Under the county's rainy day fund ordinance, it should be between 5 and 15%. "It may be a bit much," said Cusick. "I don't think it needs to be that high."
Budget Administrator Doran Hamman responded, "You only have $20 million to support a $400 million operation."
Cusick may be looking for a way to fund a step increase to career service employees.
19 comments:
If this is true those employees are 10 years behind in moving up the pay scale! And you wonder why Unions are needed.
Wow, they waited a 1 week to start the payback. Have the wages of the taxpayers gone up as much as the county employees?, I doubt it.
As a former employee of 27 years, I can honestly say the reason I went for a job there was for the benefits, certainly not the money. The small amount of money got me by, with some help from my parents, but I had great benefits! The money increased very, very slowly. Then benefits started slipping away. What's left? YES! It is high time for much needed raises for those working there!
Those who haven't worked there have no need to speak.
"Wow, they waited a 1 week to start the payback. Have the wages of the taxpayers gone up as much as the county employees?, I doubt it."
My guess is more so.
Doran Hamman doesn't care...he's making close to $100,000 if not more. Mr. Cusick is correct, career service employee's haven't had a step raise in at least 10 years. While Unions get them into their contracts. Its not fair and County Council has known this forever. They would rather give out the mere 2 % raise vs. the step raise. Why not reward those employee's who stay?? I find it amusing how people always say that county employee's have it made. Its just not true ! Maybe once upon a time they did. I bet if you looked at the numbers outside the county work force you would see many getting 3 - 5% raises vs the county of 2%. People just love to hate on public employee's. People in the past went to work for good Benefits and lower pay.The benefits, which used to be generous, now are just competitive, particularly in terms of health care. The County has never been able to compete from a salary standpoint, but they could make up the difference in pension and benefits. They can no longer say that. Yet, they still are behind on pay comparisons. Don't get me started on doing a pay study. We all know what happened the last time they did one...Nothing ! Stats have shown that if you have a degree, you will get paid better in the private sector. That's a known fact. So, next time you here someone say government workers have it made remember...its not always true.
If the county has a pay step system in place why do the steps have to be negotiated into the contract. The unions might see a step only one step every 3 or 4 years if they're lucky.
Then the unions are still ahead of management.
I am management and alot of my employees are making more than I do. This due to the unions being guaranteed there pay increases in there contracts. Career service employees are at the mercy of the county executive. If the county executive doesn't want to give pay raise steps that his decision. It is very true the last time a pay step was given was 10 plus years ago when Reibman was in office.
This is the very reason there is so much animosity towards Brown and his cohorts. When some of his directors were hired they didn't have to start at the bottom of the pay scale like the rest of us. They spent and wasted taxpayer dollars all the while the career service employees were struggling along. We are always frugal with our supplies, etc and when you see others spending on top notch stuff it was very degrading and disenheartening.
Hamman is making over $100 k. Public record. He has been there since the Ice Age and has earned his incremental salary increases.Not sure if he is the highest paid county employee (not including those milking OT in the prison) but he is in the top three.
The accountants want to cover their butts. If you let them they would have you put $100 million in the bank. Huge amounts of money sitting in the county reserve is entirely unnecessary.
12 years since my last step raise, but who's counting. Thank God for the higher cost of living, higher taxes , paying high health care cost , low pay much below the private sector and more debt. Boy I luv "THE AMERICAN DREAM". It came true !
Should have started my own business ( then again Washington & Harrisburg would taken all my money )or gone into the USAF years ago like I thought about , to late now.
to 12:52 on the 16th ,
Last true pay scale /job study was completed in 1989, that's rights nearly 30 years ago! And I know for a fact its was lowered even back then. I guess the public is still working at a payscale from 1989 also ? The county employee is not the one buying these 300-400 thousand dollar homes being built in the county. Wonder were that money is coming from ???
Typical loud mouth taxpayer who moved here from NY or NJ complaining about paying taxes, but wants full service as well for nothing. Well , it does not work that way. You will soon get what you pay for at the gov't level if adjustments are not made and quality people are not hired and retained. I already see it in the younger workforce that the county has. The boys from "Dumb and Dumber" will soon be running the show.
Lol So....True
For your information unionized employees are career service employees also.
It is 100% accurate that career services employees have received zero step increase for at least 8 years. My paycheck and current step of 1-A prove this to be true.
Prison employees don't "milk OT." We are forced to work mandatory overtime to meet minimum staffing levels. Brown put us in a precarious position by not hiring officers so we had no choice. While a few choose to work more shifts to earn more money has no bearing on the fact that under staffing was the main reason. What's the difference if one works ten or ten work one each? We meet the daily minimum and that's all. Not conducive for a safe environment!
personally I don't believe in steps to the top, my belief is you should have a probation rate and then a salary rate, annual increases based on several factors, long term county employees are rewarded by longevity payments and greater vacation hours earned based on time worked.
a clerk is a clerk is a clerk and a mechanic is a mechanic is a mechanic and a supervisor is a supervisor is a supervisor. equal work demands equal pay period.
But your own comment reflects your belief that they are not equal. You believe in a probationary pay, regular pay, annual increases, longevity. etc.
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