Councilman wants no pay raises for part-time city workers

A Cape Girardeau councilman said the city should not give 2 percent pay raises to part-time staff.

Ward 6 Councilman Wayne Bowen said the money would be better spent on giving better pay raises to public-safety employees in an effort to keep from losing officers to higher-paying departments.

Council members had a lengthy discussion Monday night about the proposed $90.3 million budget before giving first-round approval to it while asking city staff to look at possible changes to the pay plan.

The budget, drawn up by city staff, calls for a 2 percent pay raise for full- and part-time employees. The increase would amount to a $402,000 additional cost for full-time workers and $32,000 for part-time employees who typically make a substantially lower wage.

Payroll represents over 47 percent of the city's proposed $58.5 million operating budget, city manager Scott Meyer and finance director John Richbourg said in a written budget message to the council.

In addition to nearly 400 full-time employees, the city has hundreds of part-time workers. Many of them work in the parks and recreation department.

Ward 5 Councilman Bob Fox said returning part-time staff members deserve a raise.

Parks and recreation director Julia Thompson said the part-time staff involve more than seasonal employees. Some valued employees work part-time for her department year-round, she said.

Mayor Harry Rediger said he doesn't want to take away money from one city department to benefit another.

But Bowen argued, "Full-time employees are more important than part-time employees."

Ward 3 Councilman Victor Gunn said some public safety officers should receive "specialty pay" for the duties they perform.

Ward 1 Councilman Joseph Uzoaru said he would like to see "more analysis done" by city staff about the pay-raise issue.

In other action, the council approved water, sewer and solid waste fee increases.

"Nobody likes additional fees," Bowen said, but added these fee increases are "reasonable and appropriate."

The average residential fee would climb to $77.35 a month, a less than $2 increase, according to city officials.

At a study session before the regular meeting, the city council agreed the city need to survey residents and business operators about city operations and future needs.

City officials said the "citizen" survey would be the first such survey since 2012.

Meyer told the council the city could hire a professional company to conduct the survey at a cost of $20,000 to $25.000. The previous survey cost less than $20,000, he said.

"We could get the same firm to do the survey," he added.

Meyer said another possibility would be for the city to do its own survey. But Bowen insisted the city needs to hire a professional survey company to obtain statistically valid results.

He suggested the city make a request for proposals for such a survey.

Rediger suggested the council should meet with residents in each ward.

"I think there is value to us going to the wards," he said. "I think there is value to reaching out to people."

Bowen said the council should consider following up with focus groups once the initial survey results have been obtained.

Meyer said the entire survey process could take 1 1/2 to two years to complete.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.