| City Council extends pay raises to part time employees |
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By: CHRISTIAN GRANTHAM, Post Contributor
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Posted: Friday, June 10, 2011 2:46 pm
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Part-time city employees will now get a raise along with the city's full time employees after a first reading of the city's new budget last night, but not before a stark warning from city firefighters.
The 2010-2011 budget had calls for a 3.5% pay raise for full-time staff only. Last night was the first reading and public comment for the budget. The first comment was a stern warning from Murfreesboro firefighters.
"There are several firefighters in our city that are currently, legitimately eligible to collect food stamps benefits. I have restrained from sharing this information with the city but I think this is an appropriate time," said Bill Durkin, President of the Murfreesboro Firefighters Association.
Durkin made a case for the city's budgetary commitment to proper training and equipment to protect those who put their lives at risk for Murfreesboro.
"Firefighting is a team and contact sport. it is essential that we are able to conduct multi-company training in a local venue that allows us to respond, if needed, within the city limits," Durkin said.
The city's part-time employees were not included in proposed pay raises until concerns were raised by councilmember Madelyn Scales Harris of perceived inequity.
"I know we say we don't have a problem replacing these part time people, we talk about it's a great city, it is a great city, but we got employees on food stamps and working three jobs," Councilmember Scales Harris told the council.
City Manager Rob Lyons and Assistant City Manager Jim Crumley addressed the council's concern over part-time pay arguing more inequities could be caused when trying to decide the cut off point between part-time and seasonal employees.
"We thought 'where do we draw the line? How many hours do you want to say gets the raise?' No matter where we draw the line, we cause inequities in pay," Assistant City Manager Crumley said.
Councilmember Shane McFarland expressed concern over providing pay raises without doing market studies to determine whether the city would create unnecessary budget problems.
"I understand making adjustments, but we're just guessing up here with no information and could be doing more damage," Councilmember McFarland said.
The council eventually voted for a proposal by Councilmember Toby Gilley to provide an across the board pay increase of 30 cents to all part-time employees and to study market pay rates while the city works to define the difference between part-time and seasonal employees.
The amount of time spent on discussing pay raises didn't sit well with Mayor Tommy Bragg who expressed sensitivity to voters.
"Frankly, I understand the emotional appeal of this, but I don't like raising this up with our private employers. Most people criticize public salaries anyway. I feel we've spent a lot of time looking at this, and I just say let's go with the 30 cents," Mayor Bragg said.
Prior to the vote, Councilmember Scales Harris seemed genuinely pleased and touched by the council's honest effort to address her concerns.
"I like that. I just don't want us to make any employees ever different, and with the economy the way it is. I like that. It's fair, and I like that," Councilmember Scales Harris said.
The city council also voted to make the court clerk's required collection of an additional $13.75 for cash appearance bonds to become a court cost so the city can charge the state for collecting it. The additional fee will not apply to parking tickets, red-light tickets or seat-belt violations.
Murfreesboro City Police will also now receive their badge and service pistol in a special box instead of it being mounted on a plaque. Murfreesboro City Police wanted the change to provide retiring officers a more appropriate and memorable gift citing officers wouldn't want their hand gun hanging on a wall plaque. |
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