Fairhope, Alabama
SPECIAL BUDGET WORK SESSION
As Mayor Wilson looked on, police chief Hollinghead defended against cuts to the police department's draft 2020 budget (vehicles, personnel) being proposed by councilmen Brown and Burrell.
Cuts to some other departments' proposed budgets were debated too during the two hour meeting ... as well as appropriate levels for annual employee raises (2% across the board and 1% for merit where applicable are proposed) and annual bonuses.
Council president Burrell said he thought a final budget Resolution could be ready to pass by the next council meeting, on November 13th; budget years begin October 1st.
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| Police Chief Hollinghead at left |
SPECIAL BUDGET WORK SESSION
As Mayor Wilson looked on, police chief Hollinghead defended against cuts to the police department's draft 2020 budget (vehicles, personnel) being proposed by councilmen Brown and Burrell.
Cuts to some other departments' proposed budgets were debated too during the two hour meeting ... as well as appropriate levels for annual employee raises (2% across the board and 1% for merit where applicable are proposed) and annual bonuses.
Council president Burrell said he thought a final budget Resolution could be ready to pass by the next council meeting, on November 13th; budget years begin October 1st.
Comments
If the Police Depart. needs more revenue let them start writing more citations for speeding and cell phone use.
Is it? Atop 2%?
Unlike bonuses, raises are forever and have a compounding effect on all future raises. Our local payroll and the Alabama Retirement System--just part of our tax burden--will be affected in perpetuity.
None of this is to say that any of our city employees do not deserve a 3% bump, but calling it "nothing" is incorrect and dangerous thinking.
Look at California, Illinois, or New York cities: they have been doling out "nothing" raises for many years, spending themselves into oblivion.