City Employee Salaries !!!!!
Was it reasonable for city employees to receive a three percent pay increase or was it simply an attempt to buy votes by those Council Members seeking to be Mayor?
It's not a question of whether or not everyone deserves a pay increase, no doubt many do while some don't, the question is should the increases, if affordable, have been based on merit instead of mere existence.
There also seems to be a very vast inequity in the pay between departments. A salary of over $91,000.00 plus some mighty good benefits for the City Recorder may not seem to warrant a $2,700.00 raise, but that isn't as disturbing to me as the fact the average pay for those in the Gas Department is over $46,000.00. Can anyone justify the salary of the Gas Department Supervisor with eight employees being more than the chief of police with twenty-seven employees? Are the responsibilities equitable?
At a salary of $42,619.20 the lowest paid employee of the Gas Department makes more than twenty of the police officers and all but the Chief of the Fire Department. Even the average salary of the Sewer Department is higher than the average for the Police Department. Is there a wonder that morale in the police department is low and the officers feel unappreciated. Perhaps there really is a vendetta out against the police department by a Council Member/Mayoral candidate.
Is a salary of almost $78,000.00 realistic for a public works head?
What will be required of the citizens to pay these salaries and meet the increasing "needs" of the city? As a "retirement community" there will be no COLA for Social Security recipients, but an increase to Medicare is expected. Higher utility bills continue growing along with unemployment and people losing their homes. Already some county commissioners are talking about the need for a $75.00 wheel tax and a property tax increase.
There must be a great deal of thought put into who we vote for as Mayor, Aldermen and representatives. It's been said that the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". By that definition voting for the same people, who helped get us in this mess, and expecting them to do anything other than what they have done in the past is insanity.
It's not a question of whether or not everyone deserves a pay increase, no doubt many do while some don't, the question is should the increases, if affordable, have been based on merit instead of mere existence.
There also seems to be a very vast inequity in the pay between departments. A salary of over $91,000.00 plus some mighty good benefits for the City Recorder may not seem to warrant a $2,700.00 raise, but that isn't as disturbing to me as the fact the average pay for those in the Gas Department is over $46,000.00. Can anyone justify the salary of the Gas Department Supervisor with eight employees being more than the chief of police with twenty-seven employees? Are the responsibilities equitable?
At a salary of $42,619.20 the lowest paid employee of the Gas Department makes more than twenty of the police officers and all but the Chief of the Fire Department. Even the average salary of the Sewer Department is higher than the average for the Police Department. Is there a wonder that morale in the police department is low and the officers feel unappreciated. Perhaps there really is a vendetta out against the police department by a Council Member/Mayoral candidate.
Is a salary of almost $78,000.00 realistic for a public works head?
What will be required of the citizens to pay these salaries and meet the increasing "needs" of the city? As a "retirement community" there will be no COLA for Social Security recipients, but an increase to Medicare is expected. Higher utility bills continue growing along with unemployment and people losing their homes. Already some county commissioners are talking about the need for a $75.00 wheel tax and a property tax increase.
There must be a great deal of thought put into who we vote for as Mayor, Aldermen and representatives. It's been said that the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". By that definition voting for the same people, who helped get us in this mess, and expecting them to do anything other than what they have done in the past is insanity.
posted by Allen Barrett | 8:27 AM
39 Comments:
Wow, another negative thread.
Don't like it don't read it. Only negative thing about it is your comment
Facts are Facts! If the salaries of city employees are correct...the only negative part is the people (Police and Fireman) that put there lifes in jeopardy for the county are severly underpaid and the administrative people are very well (over) paid!!!
It always seems that those who lack education and a good job resent those who have an education and a good paying job.
Also your city fireman work 24 hrs a day and 5 days a week. They cannot leave unless they take a fire truck with them. I would say they are surely underpaid
7:02 Are you saying that Harold Brooks is better educated than everyone else in city government except Terry Harrison because he makes more than anybody but Harrison?
Is MIke Young or Reba Walls better educated than most of the police dept? What a joke
I've said it before and will say it again. You bash Dan Speer, but you are going to miss him. No property tax increase (not a penny) in 20 years. Now that's good management.
I personally don't believe that Dan will ever be missed. If he quietly walked into the sunset today......meaning that he left Economic Development as well....no one looking for the betterment of Pulaski would ever miss him.
Dan Speer raised your "taxes" in other ways. Check your water and gas rates.
I think the Police Department and Fire Department should go on strick and see how the people of Pulaski like that if that's what they think if them.
10:18 Be thankful you are on City of Pulaski water and not a utility district. Their increases far surpass any of the City.
Wonder if anyone took into consideration the average years of service of the employees for each department? Does a person of 15 years of service deserve a better wage than a person with 1 year of service in the same position? In every job I have ever worked the people with seniority made more money. You need to make sure you are comparing apples to apples.
To 12:16
In some instances people with seniority are making less than newer hires with the same responsibilities. The effort apparently is being made to establish a set wage for groups of employees and not individuals. The apples all match.
The question I would hope you might ask is whether a police officer that is in constant danger deserves to be paid more than a secretary in the Recorders office.
To 10:44
I agree that those of us in the city are better off than those served by the different water districts. Are you aware that the reason those water district rates are so much higher is due to the fact they must buy most all their water from the city then resale it.
Several years ago I started a move to consolidate the water system into one system and use the money saved to provide water to all areas of the county. It was if I had suggested taking all newborns and beheading them. Actually I think there would have been less resistance to the beheading than to consolidation of water systems.
Each district has set up their own little kingdom much like the electric companies have done that buy electricity from TVA.
seniority in most places i have seen only means you got more time off. it the person that has been there for 15 years is as useless as they day they hire them, and the 1 year person has more education and experiance then yes they should make more
It was also announced that Allen Barrett's salary from Giles County will remain at $0.00 next year.
Thank goodness!
Does anyone know which aldermen voted to give a raise to the city employees this year?
9:18 You have a serious problem. I hope you get help.
Each of the mayor candidates voted for the pay increase.
Pat Ford did not.
Don't be a dunce 8:20 the question was about the alderman that voted to give the raises.
Did any of the Aldermen vote against giving the raise? Aldermen are up for election too...
8:58 Actually, no. Better re-read the statement at 7:59. I think it is rather clear, although erroneous.
Use you noodle 9:18 the only people able to vote for the raises were alderman and mayor. All the mayor candidates that are alderman voted for the pay raises.
It blows my mind to know an employee with the gas department makes more money that the police officers and to top it all off what most people don’t know in most of the police officers are also fireman. They serve both roles and are put in twice as much danger. No wonder no one wants their job these guys must really be dedicated and love what they do, a person would have to in order to do what they do and put up with all the danger, stress and ridicule.
Not long ago I was told by an employee of the gas department that there job was more dangerous than a fireman. There idea was firemen go to fires that have already started while the gas employees could get blown up at any moment. Sounded dumb to me but
that's what they thought.
If the numbers are right I think it's an outrage that police officers are being paid so little while a gas employee is paid so much more. Not many teachers make over 40,000 a year.
you are more likely to die picking up trash, farming, and logging than being a policeman or fireman. you are over three times more likely to die while logging than either of them. three pulaski police officers have died in the line of duty since 1926, two to gunfire, one to heart attack. three in 84 years. fairly safe job to have? not knocking the whole police dept, but if a few didnt give the dept a bad name maybe more people would like to see them recieve a raise. how much has the city spent investigated chad estes? that money could be used for raises. i am just saying.
How many died in the gas dept during that same time 12:23
Does any have the list and can it be posted on here. I would like to see where my tax dollars go
8:16, dont know. that info is not on the internet. you can google the most dangerous jobs in america and see the results that i did. just trying to show that being a police officer isn't that dangerous.
I posted a comment in response to Saturday, October 23, 2010 12:23:00 AM and it was removed. I would like to know why, and if I violated any rules.
5:03
Are you sure your post was on here first.
I know sometimes mine don't go through, but if I go back down to it I see why it didn't go though.
Post it again.
Does anyone know which Aldermen voted to give raises across the board this year? Aldermen are up for re-election too, and I for one would like to know which aldermen voted to give raises. I have a private sector job and I did not get a raise this year because the economy sucks. However, it appears that atleast 4 of the voting members of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen felt the economy was good enough to give raises. Who are they?
Tey were all in it. Terry suggested the raises and they all jumped on the bandwagon. Noone voted or spoke against the raises.
Baddour voted against the Budget, which included the raises.
Baddour voted against the Budget, which included the raises.
Good job Colby! It will be remembered if you seek re-election.
He only voted no because of the capital outlay notes being used to purchase a dump truck and a new fire truck
wednesday october 27, 5:03 A.M. i would like to see what you have to say, and feel that you should be able to respond to me. please try to repost your comment. thanks.
9:40 He/she must not of posted, just wanted to gripe since he wouldn't post again.
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