CITY'S SALARIES SHOULD BE COMPARED TO LOCAL PAY SCALES

The city of Cape Girardeau is taking a new approach to employee salaries. Instead of considering salary increases at the end of the budget process, employee compensation will move to the front.

The aim is to make city salaries more competitive with comparable Missouri cities such as Jefferson City, Joplin, Sedalia and St. Joseph. A report presented to the City Council last fall showed that Cape Girardeau employee salaries lag about 4 percent behind the average of these cities.

The city is wise to rework a budget process that has traditionally put salary considerations last. Competitive salaries are certainly a key consideration in terms of attracting and retaining a well-trained, motivated work force. But the council must walk the line between rewarding employees and living within its budget. Salaries make up a considerable portion of the city's budget. Larger salary increases will mean the city must do without something else.

Mayor Al Spradling III thinks city employees are due a raise. He says it would improve morale and keep the city from losing good workers to higher-paying jobs. This is especially true in the police and fire departments, where the attrition rate is particularly high. For example, 15 officers have left the police department in the last two years. With more training required for Missouri police officers, the department has a larger investment in new officers who undergo this training.

The city gives the bulk of its raises in annual merit pay increases that range from 2 to 4 percent. Merit raises are preferable to across-the-board increases because they reward good work on the job.

When comparing salaries, the council should take a close look at comparable salaries in Cape Girardeau. Statewide averages are fine, but they may not reflect what people are earning here. The city would also do well to increase the salaries at a fair, but realistic, rate rather than all at once.

A good example can be found in the recent move to increase legislators' and judges' salaries in Missouri. Taxpayers were suitably outraged, and the plan was nixed both by the House and Senate. Salaries may need to be increased, but double-digit increases simply weren't acceptable.