City officials discuss workers' pay increases

The mayor and finance committee chairman don't see eye to eye on the raises.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- Some city council members say pay increases for nonunion city workers will not be discussed until 2007, but Mayor Art Magee believes not granting the raises would be breaking a promise.
Members of the finance committee this month reviewed requests for pay increases for the mayor, law director, auditor, treasurer, street superintendent, mayor's secretary and police chief. No increase in pay was requested for the service director, but a request was made for medical coverage for that position .
Councilman Patton Gilliland, finance committee chairman, said the city, faced with potential losses in tax revenue, must wait and access its financial position next year before agreeing to pay increases. He said all the positions in question, except for the mayor's secretary, street superintendent and police chief, are part time and well compensated as such.
Magee takes issue with the "part-time" classification. He said the work required in those administrative positions, in particularly that of the mayor, cannot be done on a part-time basis. Magee said he works full-time hours and then some.
Magee said he was told by one councilman at a meeting to discuss pay raises that Magee could find a second part-time job to supplement his income. The mayor called that suggestion "asinine."
The mayor said he is trying to make sure raises in the city are given fairly to all workers. He said the pay scale of nonunion employees should keep pace with that of the union negotiated salaries.
The last pay increase for the mayor was in 1991; the treasurer's position, 2002; the auditor's position, 2000; and the law director's, 1993.
Magee said another problem with postponing the requested pay increases is that the increases were promised to the mayor's secretary and street superintendent. Both positions received pay increases in September 2005.
Promises made
Magee said the pay adjustments last year ware only part of the equation. He said both employees were told that a second adjustment would be made in 2006. The street superintendent, he said, still makes less than his subordinates who get overtime, while the mayor's secretary makes less hourly than the person who replaces her when she is off.
Paul Collins, street superintendent, said he remembers the promise of a second increase clearly. He said postponing the pay increase will be a significant setback to him.
"It was a promise," he said. "This puts me back to where my guys with overtime are starting to make more money than me already this year."
Collins said he is waiting to see if any members of council outside the finance committee raise the issue.
Gilliland said there was no promise of additional raises for either position.
Council next meets Feb. 6.
jgoodwin@vindy.com