Are mayor, council paying attention?

Youngstown City Council’s recent decision to boost the salaries of department heads and other managers has triggered intense debate in the private sector because it confirms that individuals in the public sector are living in la-la land.

They have no concept of the real world — a world in which pay raises are a rarity and layoffs and concessions have become the rule rather than the exception. This is especially true in the Mahoning Valley, where high-paying manufacturing jobs are being replaced by low-paying service jobs, and the only expansion in payrolls (not necessarily the number of employees, but certainly the percentage of tax dollars going into their pockets) is in government.

Council’s decision was even more egregious because the department heads and managers are being rewarded for their service — if you want to call it that — to a city that is economically stagnant, physically unattractive and nationally known for its high crime rate.

Blog entry

The pay-raise issue prompted the following entry in Stirfry, this writer’s blog in Vindy.com, The Vindicator’s web site:

“Time to roll back city tax

“If Youngstown city government is so flush with money that it can afford huge pay raises for public employees who are mediocre at best, with average qualifications and education, it’s time the private-sector taxpayers got a break. If Mayor Jay Williams and city council aren’t willing to decrease the income tax rate by a half-percent, then a citizens’ initiative is demanded.

“Ever since the half-percent tax increase was approved by voters several years ago during the tenure of then Mayor George M. McKelvey, city employees have been raking in the dough. Meanwhile, Youngstown’s homicide rate is still among the highest in the country, the city school system is a disaster financially and academically, neighborhoods are still deteriorating and job-creation (in the private sector, at least) is anemic.

“The tax increase was meant to improve the quality of life of Youngstown residents, but the only ones who seem to have benefited are those on the public payroll.

“The latest move by city council to give department heads and other managers raises of more than 10 percent over two-plus years is a slap in the face of workers in the private sector who have had to deal with layoffs and concessions.

“Having the highest municipal income tax rate in the state of Ohio is a distinction that Youngstown could do without.

“The time for true leadership on the part of the mayor and lawmakers is now.

“If department heads and manager agree to forgo the increases, then Williams should seek concessions from the rest of city government’s workforce.

“But if greed prevails, then a grassroots campaign to roll back the tax will be launched.”

Among the responses to the blog was this one:

“The tax was passed on the campaign that the city residents won’t pay it, it will be mostly funded by the suckers from the suburbs who work in the city. Taxation without representation at its best. Why would city residents repeal it when it’s mostly funded by non-residents.”

And there was this:

“It’s almost tempting to move back into the city and run for public office. I haven’t had a raise in 4 years. Maybe I’ve been working in the wrong profession for all these years (health care). Unfortunately, having good character and a set of values are not required for public office.”

Taxation without representation

This issue of non-residents who work in the city paying the tax, but not being able to vote on it, is not new. The exodus of businesses to the suburbs, resulting in a 2.75 percent pay raise for the employees, is proof that the status quo is no longer acceptable to those who have the ability to move out of Youngstown.

Mayor Williams and members of city council can continue burying their heads in the sand, or they can demonstrate that they haven’t completely lost touch with reality — by rejecting the pay raises for department heads and other managers and then calling on all other city employees to also make sacrifices.

Failure to do that will result in a campaign to roll back the income tax. The line is beginning to form.