Summerdale area resident and longtime Public Works employee Dotson Brown spoke against the proposal for the city to require employees to share in paying their health insurance premiums (the city has been paying 100%).
He said he thought the council had ended their overtime, merit and cost of living raises 3 years ago; but said their most important benefit was their health insurance.
(publisher's note: Media records indicate in 2009 employees did get a 4% (cola) raise; and the city spent $800,000 on overtime in 2008; $300K was proposed for 2009)
Referring to the proposed privatization of garbage pick up that reportedly could save taxpayers almost $1 million, Brown wondered what the fifteen employees would do (go on unemployment?); but conceded the same thing is happening "all over the nation."
(publisher's note: Past media reports indicate the privatization proposal would require the city's current sanitation employees to be hired by whatever private company won the bid)
Brown added hourly employees at the warehouse had lots of other cost saving ideas--and were willing to talk with council members personally about them, bypassing management altogether.
He said Mayor Kant (and former mayor Nix) had assured them all they'd always have jobs with the city and ended by conceding they may have become a little spoiled over the years by Fairhope's better-than-most benefits.
(According to the city's just-approved 2011 budget, the city will pay about $606K for employee healthcare premiums and another $700K for retirement funding this year. )
In what seems now seems to have become a yearly ritual, employees also packed the council chambers in Sep. 2009 to apply pressure for a 3% raise, strongly endorsed by Mayor Kant and Councilman Ford--but failed in their effort then. (article)
He said he thought the council had ended their overtime, merit and cost of living raises 3 years ago; but said their most important benefit was their health insurance.
(publisher's note: Media records indicate in 2009 employees did get a 4% (cola) raise; and the city spent $800,000 on overtime in 2008; $300K was proposed for 2009)
Referring to the proposed privatization of garbage pick up that reportedly could save taxpayers almost $1 million, Brown wondered what the fifteen employees would do (go on unemployment?); but conceded the same thing is happening "all over the nation."
(publisher's note: Past media reports indicate the privatization proposal would require the city's current sanitation employees to be hired by whatever private company won the bid)
Brown added hourly employees at the warehouse had lots of other cost saving ideas--and were willing to talk with council members personally about them, bypassing management altogether.
He said Mayor Kant (and former mayor Nix) had assured them all they'd always have jobs with the city and ended by conceding they may have become a little spoiled over the years by Fairhope's better-than-most benefits.
(According to the city's just-approved 2011 budget, the city will pay about $606K for employee healthcare premiums and another $700K for retirement funding this year. )
In what seems now seems to have become a yearly ritual, employees also packed the council chambers in Sep. 2009 to apply pressure for a 3% raise, strongly endorsed by Mayor Kant and Councilman Ford--but failed in their effort then. (article)
Comments
Some supervisors are no better. "Lie to get" by is their creed. Sets a bad example. Poor discipline. this is what happens when you hire unqualified people to those jobs.
In the end, its costs citizens more with higher utility rates and taxes.