This afternoon, by a 6-3 vote the Financial Advisory Committee voted not to include the Mayor's proposed 3% pay raises (and 2% merit raises)--in its final recommended budget to the City Council.
Mayor Kant: "I think it should be left in . . . not the Committee's place to decide ... Federal Employees are getting a 2.4% COLA this year . . . maybe there's some compromise . . . for hourly workers only (omit salaried?)."
Mixon: "This Committeee was set up by the Council to make recommendations/suggestions only . . . Council makes the final decision . . . can change it."
Ford: "Its my understanding the Committee only makes a recommendation . . . we (Council) do whatever we want."
Stankoski pointed out that many Citizens--Social Security recipients on fixed incomes-- were having to do without any COLA (cost of living adjustment) this year; and that his (Mayor's) 3% increase was only a non-binding recommendation to the Council as well.
Kant: "We don't have a COLA formula in Fairhope: understand Rhonda's (White, Human Resources Officer) working on one."
Publisher's note: According to published reports, President Obama recently proposed only a 2% pay increase for Federal Employees in his own 2010 budget--but the issue has yet to be voted on in Congress. Governor Riley has frozen State employee pay-- and raised their health insurance premiums. The Cities of Foley, Robertsdale and Baldwin County Gov.--have announced they will forgo any pay raises next year as well.
Comments
Foley, the State, and just about everyone else are keeping salaries flat.
The fact is the 4% raises the Mayor gave them this year was too much. they can skip a year.