The 2018 salary ordinance for the City of Plymouth appointed officers and employees, and fire and police personnel will go to a study committee.
The proposed salary ordinance was before the city council Monday night for second and third readings, but the ordinance died after a motion to approve a second reading was not put before the members.
Councilman Jeff Houin commented that he could not justify giving one department a bigger percentage of a raise than all of the other departments. According to the salary study completed by Waggoner, Irwin, Scheele and Associates, as explained by Human Relations Director Emyle Kruyer-Collins, the proposed salary adjustments were based upon the wages from surrounding municipalities and counties with personnel in similar positions in a comparable market. With input given to the consultants from employee surveys on job descriptions and duties, the wages were calculated to bring the numbers in comparison to other employees of the same duties. The proposed salary study found that the staff in the clerk’s department and a few other employees would be in the external high-range which would amount to a large percentage wage increase in some cases.
Councilman Bill Walters stated that the police and fire department officers would not see an increase in the proposed salary. He said the idea behind the 2017 increase was to maintain the rates and not fall behind like what the city saw before this year’s increase. He would like to see an increase in those departments.
Councilman Gary Cook agreed with Walters and Houin in that the council needs to keep pace with emergency services. He didn’t think the consultant’s recommendations were set in stone and need to be revisited.
Councilman Shawn Grobe noted that the raises in the proposed ordinance aren’t realized anywhere else in the private sector unless drastic promotions are made. He stressed that he doesn’t mean any disrespect to any city employees and their abilities, but there needs to be a revision. He also urged the council to be fiscally responsible.
It was suggested by Councilman Don Ecker, Jr. that a committee be formed that mirrors the rate investigation conducted for the salary increase for the members of the fire and police departments. A motion was made to that suggestion and it was unanimously approved by the council. Ecker, Jr. volunteered to head that committee while fellow council members Shiloh Fonseca and Bill Walters agreed to form the necessary three-member panel. They will work with Kruyer-Collins and Clerk-Treasurer Jeanine Xaver to gather needed information and documentation. A revised ordinance has a swift deadline date to meet as it needs to be approved by October.
