What started as a proposal to provide a 6% cost of living adjustment for all city employees ended with a unanimously approved motion directing City Manager Reese Goad to bring back a 2021-22 budget that will raise the minimum level of city pay to $15 per hour.
The discussion began with a request by City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow to provide all city employees with a 6% cost of living adjustment in the 2021-22 city budget.
City Manager Reese Goad asked for flexibility in making the adjustment through a change in employee benefits, however, Matlow and Williams-Cox rejected that approach.
The discussion about the pay raise revolved around “making employees whole” due to the negative impacts of the pandemic.
Mayor Dailey and Commissioner Richardson stated they were not comfortable tying the hands of staff and would like to see the impacts of an across the board raise before voting.
However, led by Dianne Williams-Cox, the discussion quickly turned to moving the minimum hourly wage for city employees from the scheduled $13 in the 2021-22 budget to $15 an hour.
Williams-Cox said “let’s go bold into the new world” while stating that the City of Tallahassee is leading on these issues noting the City’s move to make Emancipation Day and Election Day paid holidays for city employees.
City Manager Goad explained the sudden move to $15 a hour is complicated and will have an impact on other employees. He stated if we move the minimum wage to $15 per hour we will have to adjust those employees who are currently make $15-$16 per hour.
However, Commissioner Williams indicated, in her view, it was not necessary to move the pay of other employees.
The 2021-22 proposed city budget is tentatively scheduled to come back before the City Commission on July 7th.
A 6% COLA? What the hell?
City Employees have gotten a raise 12 out of the last 13 years? Who the Hell Is paying for this????
Senior Citizens?
Welfare recipients?
Corporations?
Tallahassee Report comments... Where intelligence is lost.
These folks have no business in leadership. The wage multiplier for benefits alone will increase our utility bills out of reach. This along with the unneeded bureaucracy of the CST will stifle our economy and community. Before I call them all morons I would like them to document the source of their thoughts. Or, if you can make it neutral by decreasing the upper tier salary folks so it’s neutral to total expenditures then fine!
Tax and Spend City Government....that is why I refuse to reside within the City limits.
O/T
#1 - Please run breaking news regarding the recent TPD related incident why TPD had probable cause to arrest a man who was resisting arrest. I am not getting the full details from other sources.
#2 - Why is Waste Pro unable to do their pickups in one day? Customers are getting calls on their pick up days saying that only a portion of their waste has been collected and the remaining will be collected the next day. This is been going on since March. In my area too big Waste Pro trucks were blocking the road with a third truck being a Waste Pro Repair Truck. It is a common occurrence to see the Waste Pro trucks being towed down Capital Circle or a repair truck making a repair on a Waste Pro Truck in a neighborhood and for pickups to be late. Late pickups have been going on since March and they even send out Robo calls and text messages to customers that their pickups will take 2 days. What is going on-- do they only have three trucks operating and broken down at that?
Proclaiming May 20th Emancipation Day is an affront to common sense. If you want to celebrate emancipation celebrate on January 1st as that is when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. If that date doesn't work for you because the civil war had not yet concluded and the out come on the slavery question not yet determined then celebrate it on December 18th as that was the date in 1865 the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was proclaimed adopted . But do not celebrate emancipation on May 20th just because that was the date a general read the proclamation 11 days after the war was over. Rational people celebrate birthdays on the date of birth not when they heard about the birth. If you feel you must celebrate something on the 20th of May I suggest you celebrate it as Eliza P. Doolitle Day as that was the day the King set aside for all England, her praises to sing (inside joke to be understood only by Broadway show aficionados.
City staff to get a raise and no one knows that the impact of the raises on the budget will be.
City staff will get a day off to celebrate a holiday that isn't a holiday.
You simply cannot fix stupid...
This is what happens when a NaziCrat-controlled government confiscates our tax dollars and uses them to bribe/program the ill-educated to sit at home on their tail-ends, smoke weed, and play video games all day.
... and remember... we allegedly "voted" for this.
When the businesses close and there are no jobs to be had then they'll figure it out they made a mistake.
North, East, and West Tallahassee should secede from Tallahassee as we have taxation without representation.
Our elected officials want Tallahassee to be NY or LA by every ridiculous progressive decision they approve.
The Domino Effect will carry as follows:
Minimum wage goes to $15.00... all those currently making $15.00 must increase pursuant to their tenure... Department Lead wage must now increase pursuant to structural wage steps associated with the chain off command... Department Supervisor wage must now increase pursuant to structural wage steps associated with the chain off command... Department Manager wage must now increase pursuant to structural wage steps associated with the chain off command... Department Director wage must now increase pursuant to structural wage steps associated with the chain off command... Assistant City Manager wage must now increase pursuant to structural wage steps associated with the chain off command... City Manager wage must now increase pursuant to structural wage steps associated with the chain off command... City Commissioners then move to increase their pay, 'cause... you know, why should everyone else get a raise and not us?
Result... the cost of City services goes up and property taxes go up.
Thus is the grand Progressive illusion known as "equity" and "a living wage"
Why 15 and not 16?
What is this "new world" Com. Williams-Cox speaks of? Oh that's right the great reset has started. Pretty sure no city employees missed a pay check during Covid. Goad should have explained that giving all employees a 6% raise would mean police officers would get a raise too. The libs couldn't support that.
Ms. Williams-Cox:
It is quite simple: not all skill levels or job descriptions warrant $15/hour. Like yours, for example.
"Commissioner Williams indicated, in her view, it was not necessary to move the pay of other employees."
BS...….. If you think someone who has been there for YEARS and has worked hard and been making $15 an hour for a few Years already wont be super pissed if a newbie comes in who just keeps the place cleaned up and the Vehicles washed is STARTING at $15 an hour, you, are sorely mistaken.
Sure, just pass the cost on to taxpayers. Maybe these out of touch commissioners would feel better if they lived jn California or New York
Cox and Matlow have lost their minds.