During the Leon County Commission Budget Workshop, staff presented the 2024 Fiscal Year Preliminary Budget, with 8 recommendations, including increasing the hauling rate for waste management from $18.80 to $22.71 among other items. Option #8 was the most controversial topic debated–a proposed across-the-board 5% pay increase for all county employees.
Commissioner Bill Proctor made a motion to approve all eight options, to which Commissioner David O’Keefe responded making a substitute motion for options 1-7 to be approved leaving option eight for Board discussion.
Commissioners Rick Minor and David O’Keefe expressed concern for the 5% pay increase. Minor noted that while he understood the motivation, as a general rule he does not support across-the-board increases, stating, “If a person who’s a Leon County employee and they’re doing exceptional work, they’re working hard, they’re working smart and they’re delivering incredible value to citizens, they should be paid more than somebody who’s not working at that level.” Minor recommended a merit increase that would average out to a 5% increase instead.
Vice Chair Carolyn Cummings and Commissioner Bill Proctor expressed their support on the issue. Proctor stated, “Well I choose to respect everybody, all our workers who wear our uniform.” Chairman Nick Maddox conveyed his support as well, naming high inflation as one of the main reasons. He stated, “I’ve heard your thoughts on it, and I don’t think there’s a manager out there in Leon County that works for this organization… that would be uncomfortable with us taking responsibility into our own hands.” The County Administrator explained that the 5% pay increase would take away the ability of supervisors to have discretion for individual pay raises. With the substitute motion failing, the original motion passed unanimously.
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The Commission voted unanimously to approve an item that will allocate $2 million in funds from the opioid litigation settlement to substance abuse treatment services and people in the criminal justice system.
The Commission voted unanimously to approve the report on the County’s investment in human and homeless services. During discussion, Commissioner Caban noted his distaste in the low funding amount that Operation Veteran Homeless Stand Down received compared to other programs. He then made a motion for staff to bring a status report on funding related to Leon County veteran homeless services. Additionally, Proctor made a motion to have a Leon County Human Services Workshop and to contact the City Commission to see if they would be willing to participate. Both motions passed unanimously.
The Commission voted unanimously to approve an additional $60,000 towards the development of a virtual civil rights museum. Commissioner Proctor voiced his appreciation of the virtual museum, stating, “I can’t think of a more unique way of maintaining our values as a community.”
The Commission voted unanimously to keep the property tax millage rate at 8.3144 which will increase collections by $12.66 million due to the increase in property values, while increasing the millage rate for Emergency Medical Services to 0.75, an increase of 0.25 mills, or $6.21 million in collections.
Leon County Commission Approves No Change in Property Tax, 5% Pay Raises added by Tristyn Leigh on
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Give the commissioners & managers a 1% raise, and the worker-bees a 3% raise… in line with the general population’s trend of compensation severely lagging price inflation as the USA Treasury+Fed electronic + paper printing presses roar.
I seem to recall as a child just a few centuries ago that every time the city or county wanted a property tax hike, everyone got to vote on it. Band uniforms? PTA. Curtains for auditorium? PTA. Extra maintenance? Boy Scouts. Vehicle for EMTs or fire-fighters? Turtle derby fair proceeds. Boy Scout tents? Doughnut sales. Scouts who couldn’t afford a uniform? Parents & scout-master would make sure they had a shirt for badges, etc….
Let me guess, staff recommended a 5% pay raise and these elected %^&*$# said, “OK” Hope Ben Pingree gets him some of that.
@Vicious Fish
You’re right, I never did work for the government, for exactly this reason: “Working in the public sector does not have the same opportunities to advance based on performance.”
In reference to the “buddy system” you also mentioned, that’s exactly what happens in government systems.
Recent example: After messing-up Blueprint, Ben Pingree was conveniently moved to a nice cushy high-paying job under his buddy Vince Long over at the county. Talk about favoritism, governments thrive on it in comparison to what may exist in a merit-based pay system.
@ Vicious fish = Keep in mind that, in the Private Sector, most Employee’s have to pay a LOT for any Healthcare Benefits but in Government, an Employee pays about $100 a Month or $150 for Family Coverage. I got a State Job for the Medical Benefits, not the Pay.
Maybe Caban should know what something is since he has such a strong sense of service before he looks foolish and opens his mouth. The veteran standdown is an even not a service – shut up and learn – then speak otherwise your just foolish
In case you two have been living under a rock for the last three years, the inflation rate is well above 3%. The 5% is a token increase just to keep heads above water. Working in the public sector does not have the same opportunities to advance based on performance. Merit raises fall under the buddy system in the private sector. Always. They go to your buddies, the yes men under you or to someone that you owe a favor to or to someone that has something on you. Always has been. Always will be.
Anyone not understanding that obviously has never worked for government. Your comparing apples to oranges guys.
@David
“Give a 3% Cost of Living Increase across the board to the workers and let the Supervisors offer a 2% Raise to those that perform above standards.”
Building on your comment, during my management days, while working for a large US company, we had a total merit system for pay increases. As managers, we were given a total increase amount to distribute to our workers based on their performance at or above the expected standards. The best performers received the highest increases. Those just meeting the expected standards got the so-so or standard increase. Maybe 3% as your mentioned.
And here’s the big twist. We were directed to skip the bottom performing 10% of our workers that were working below the expected standard. That’s right, they got no raise….zip. That practice gave us more money to give to the department’s highest, best performers. Of course we had to individually meet with anyone not getting a raise and explain to them what was expected to improve their performance back to the department standards.
Unfortunately, the concept of pay-for-performance is currently not very popular in the work-world. Unions helped see to that.
Every Wednesday WastePro is to pick up my Trash & Recyclables. Every Wednesday I get a recorded Call from WastePro that says that part of my area was not picked up but will be the next day. 4 out of 5 Weeks, I am in that area. I hope, with the increase of their Fee’s they will buy more Trucks and hire more People to run those Trucks.
ALSO, on Saturdays they come by automatically and pick up Yard Waste with no issues BUT, I have to call them to pick up House Hold Waste even though they are picking up my next door neighbors waste that is just 15 feet away from mine or they are picking up mine and wont pick up my neighbors because HE didn’t call them.
The 5% pay increases are for workers who never get a raise, because they either have a bad manager or there’s no money in the budget for a pay increase in your office.
Give a 3% Cost of Living Increase across the board to the workers and let the Supervisors offer a 2% Raise to those that perform above standards.
“keep the property tax millage rate at 8.3144 which will increase collections by $12.66 million due to the increase in property values,” …………… THIS is what I have been saying. NO ONE needs to raise the Property Taxes because the Property Values are rising and MORE Homes valued at $250K and UP are being built daily. They just have to wait for the Taxes to roll in.