HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976 01-15 Council balks at pay raise DISPATCH The Dispatch
Thursday,
Illllil', .Iii Jan. 15, 1976
Council balks
at pay raise
A proposed monthly pay in- comparisons of the salaries of
crease of$185 per month for all eight department heads with
Maplewood department heads is those of other suburban officials
too high, members of the Ma- would support pay increases of
plewood City Council said last $300 per month for the city man-
Thursday. ager and$200 per month for oth-
THE INCREASE,which would _er department heads.
amount to an average of nearly COMPARED to the average of
12 per cent, was recommended salaries in Brooklyn Center,
by the staff members them- Golden Valley,Plymouth,Rose-
selves,working as a team. City vile and White Bear Lake, the
Manager Michael Miller said he report said, Maplewood's f i-
concurs in the recommendation. nance director is underpaid by
The department chiefs said $3,280 per year, the community
they are underpaid, compared development director by $4,324
with officials of five other sub- and the director of public safety
urban communities,and the dif- by$904.
ferential between department The average salary for city
heads' salaries and supervisors' managers in those Cities —
pay is not great enough. whose populations average the •
However, only Councilman same as Maplewood's — is
Donald Wiegert said he sup- $5,461 more than Miller's salary,
ports the staff recommendation. according to the report.The Ma-
Other council members said plewood public works director
they could go along with lower receives $1,729 less than his
increases, ranging from 5 or 6 counterparts in the other cities,
per cent to 9 per cent. and the community services
THE LATTER-figure, Mayor director receives$3,724 less.
Robert Bruton said, is closer to In addition, according to the
union contract settlements in report, the city clerk and the
Maplewood and elsewhere in personnel officer are underpaid
the Twin Cities area.
The council tabled action on in comparison with other city
officials.
the pay proposal until tonight's THE CITY CLERK has about
meeting.
The staff report noted that SeePay,Page3
Thurs.,.Jan. IS,'76 St.Paul Dispatch (E) 3
Pay: Proposed increase is too high, council says
Continued from Pagel compared to the average depart- "something in the range of$140 ed. "Somewhere, someone has than$18,000,and$150 for those his colleagues' proposals."But I
the same responsibility as the ment head salary of$17,859. a month." to say'no'in the public sector," earning less. don't see it happening."
police lieutenant and public Miller said the proposed flat "WE'VE got a budget that he said. Murdock proposed an increase Wiegert pointed out that the
works superintendent,the report increase of $185 per month isn't balanced,". he said, "and Councilman Burton Murdock of 5 to 6 per cent for department council already has approved
said,but is paid$5,132 less than would "pull the lower(income) we're looking to the legislature, said he would like to see 'a heads.Miller,however,said that union contracts awarding larger
the average of their salaries. levels up more than the upper asking for help to balance our moratorium on all these heavy would mean he and most other percentage increases than some
The personnel officer is un- levels on a percentage basis.' budget (to save the city's par- raises," and Councilman John staff members would take home of the ones proposed for depart-
derpaid by$5,486 in comparison A more detailed study on sala- amedic program)." Greavu complained, ''I can't less each week,because of taxes ment heads.
with the salaries of the assistant ry disparaties is needed,he said. The proposed pay increases, even get a 3 per cent raise." and Social Security increases. "It does distress me that the
directoe$f community services, "We probably will come back he said,would be"detrimental" Discussing proposed pay in- Six per cent, he said, would other stuff rolled through," he
the code'jnforcement officer and to the council in July for a closer to the city's efforts to raise mon- creases for supervisory em- amount to an average monthly said,"and we come only to this,
public:4/forks assistant, who look at 1977,"he said. ey through special legislation or ployes, Greavu said he believes pay increase of $94, a "ridicu- and these are the boys that are"
have abt the same level of re- Bruton said he has no quarrel a referendum. that, "Anyone getting$17,000 a lous" amount considering the going to get hit. Maybe we
sponsil.iIify, the department with a flat dollar increase to "I would hate to jeopardize year right now ain't got no busi- most recent increases for super- shouldn't have put the other
heads said. help ease the salary differences the paramedic program to give ness getting a raise." visory employes. through."
The report also pointed out but argued that the dollar more to our staff,"Bruton said. However, he said later he "IF I thought holding salaries -
that the salaries of supervisors amount should be less than Salaries in the"public sector" would be willing to support in- down in Maplewood would stop
reportirt>a xlirectly directlyto department $185. He proposed an average are rising faster than those in creases of $100 per month for the world,that would be a good
heads aueraged$17,553 for 1975, increase of about 9 per,cent, private industry,the mayor add- employes now earning more move," Wiegert said in reply to