COLUMBIA-It might seem strange that Columbia City Manager Bill Watkins called the city’s workforce his highest priority while unveiling a budget proposal for fiscal 2008 that gives employees smaller raises than this year.
But labor leaders say they understand the city’s budgetary constraints.
“If the money’s not there, it’s not there,” said Rex Taggart, a field representative for Laborers Local 773. “Of course, we’d like to have more money, but you have to work with what you’ve got.”
Employees will get an across-the-board 1.5 percent raise. Outstanding performers will be eligible for another 2 percent pay increase. Employees will also get small hourly raises to help cover the cost of rising health insurance premiums for dependents.
But all those raises combined are still less than the 4 percent increases city employees received this fiscal year. Lagging sales tax revenue gets most of the blame.
Considering the city’s strapped finances, union leaders say more needs to be done to keep Columbia’s workers on the cutting edge when it comes to salaries.
“We’ve got a lot more to do,” Taggart said. “Unfortunately, when you’ve got a lean year, you fall farther behind.”
Many city salaries already trail market averages, which makes it harder to fill empty positions and keep qualified workers. George Hessenbruch, spokesman for the Water and Light Association, said that’s already a problem.
“It’s a big concern because we keep falling further and further behind,” Hessenbruch said. “We’ve advertised positions nationally for three years, and we haven’t had any applicants.”
Hessenbruch, in fact, is leaving the Water and Light Department after 35 years in favor of a higher-paying position in Jefferson City. It’s a trend he thinks more and more employees, especially in the utility departments, will follow.
“There are a lot more jobs in Boonville and Jeff City that pay a lot more than Columbia,” Hessenbruch said. “Good people are going to go where the dollars are.”
Watkins said the raises included in the budget are part of an effort to become competitive.
“Some employees will earn closer to market-level salaries and, while the fiscal year 2008 personnel package does not reflect the true worth of each employee, it moves in the right direction,” Watkins said.
Hessenbruch isn’t sure it’s enough movement.
“People in Columbia are very, very fortunate,” Hessenbruch said. “They’ve got a good workforce, but they need to do something to keep them.”
Otherwise, he said, “I see a pretty bleak future for the city.”
Doug Oncken, president of the Firefighters Local 1055, said that firefighters, too, were hoping for a bigger pay package but that they understood the financial situation.
“Tax revenues were down, so there’s not a whole lot to go around,” Oncken said.
Firefighters were pleased about the inclusion of a deferred retirement program that allows them and police officers to postpone retirement while still contributing to their pensions.
“We’re the ones who asked for it, so we’re happy about it,” Oncken said.
As for the future, leaders are hoping the economy improves so the city can take more action to help employees.
“I honestly think that Mr. Watkins is doing the best he can with what he’s got to work with,” Taggart said. “Hopefully next year the economy will pick up some so we have more to talk about.”