Do we hear the words
“salary increases” being bandied about the hallowed halls of
government _ local, county and state? Are our public safety workers
_ police and fire _ still pushing to get another raise? Are Morgan
Hill city and school employees still accepting raises?
Do we hear the words “salary increases” being bandied about the hallowed halls of government _ local, county and state?
Are our public safety workers _ police and fire _ still pushing to get another raise? Are Morgan Hill city and school employees still accepting raises?
What about the water district, county (administration, deputies, probation departments and social workers among others) and transit workers plus any state employees in the area?
We have an idea. How about just saying no until the great budget beast is slain?
An on-going state budget crisis, rising costs, uncertain economy: a litany of woes for the public servant. Morgan Hill’s government agencies are struggling; not as much as some cities and government agencies and yet more than others.
Both the City Council and the Board of Education need to consider measures that may not be popular with employees, but wouldn’t it be nice if the employees – from top to bottom – would take matters in their own hands and offer to forego raises for the upcoming fiscal year before being asked to?
We realize that most city staffers, including the police department, gave up any thought of a raise this year, 2003-04, and will only get them incrementally next year, but, by June 2005 the added amount (5 percent) will add up to close to $500,000 according to Human Resources Director Mary Kaye Fisher. She said that, legally, either party can ask to reopen the negotiations.
What if keeping the extra money meant that fellow staffers in the department and throughout the city ranks would lose their jobs? Would city staff sign a pledge to hold off for awhile?
Fisher agreed that it was possible that council could choose to go in that direction if the choice was between laying off several city employees or everyone giving up their 5 percent raise.
City employees include police but not firefighters. The Santa Clara County Fire Department employees’ contracts are negotiated between the county and the union. City Manager Ed Tewes told the council two weeks ago that negotiations to extend the city’s contract with SCCFD should be finished soon. Is there a chance that Tewes could coax the fire department into being lenient, temporarily, about pay increases?
While fire departments are frequently considered the untouchable “third rail” in contract negotiations, they too should make an effort to join with other public employees and give a little for the public good.
The city manager and city attorney both refused pay raises, accepting instead more weeks of paid vacation. A nice step but one that would place stress elsewhere on the staff.
While some other cities have begun renegotiating employees’ contracts in the face of towering budget imbalances, the Morgan Hill City Council has not yet discussed this though they have instructed staff to reduce spending by more than 10 percent over the past two years _ which staff exceeded. Staff is also working on a list of services to cut that would save money and not adversely effect the tax payers any more than necessary.
Tonight the city Finance and Audit Committee will take a look at several pages of potential sources of additional revenue. Council had asked for the list of places the city might find more money to shore up its shrinking treasury. The list, many of which will require voter approval, includes increases to sales, business license, utility users, transient occupancy, development, Mello-Roos, performance admissions, document transfer, parcel, police and fire and culinary taxes plus lighting and landscape assessments and franchises.
The school district budget for the 2004/2005 school year is in the planning stages now, so this is the perfect time for the School Board to hand down an edict to those doing the budgeting: no raises for employees this year. We are asking that district administrators and principals who get cumulative longevity bonuses forego them this year.
There is no money for deferred maintenance, staff has not yet identified where the money to operate the new Sobrato High will come from, and we have already laid off a large portion of our classified workers. Only Friday, two part-time nursing positions were eliminated, leaving one nursing position, shared by two persons, for the entire district. Earlier last week, all district principals were issued layoff notices.
For the administrators who receive $10,000, $20,000, $30,000 even $40,000 as a bonus, on top of salaries and benefits, it seems hypocritical to say they have the best interest of the students at heart while taking the money. If that is indeed the case, perhaps putting their money where there mouth is and giving up their bonuses for next year would be, in the eyes of the community, a step in the right direction.
It is more difficult to ask teachers and classified employees, who are near the bottom of the list in terms of pay in our area, to forgo a raise again. The last time they received anything substantial was in 2000. But if we are asking the administrators to stand behind their message, we must also ask these two groups to ante up.
Foregoing a raise next year may mean the district is able to keep its class size reduction and keep its bus drivers, custodians and counselors.
The trustees last year expressed a desire to keep cuts as far away from the classroom as possible. Through their efforts, and the efforts of the performance based budget committee, they were largely able to accomplish this. But the district is still suffering, without adequate maintenance workers and custodians and without adequate clerical support. The workers that remain in these positions are making the best of a bad situation, and their efforts are to be commended, but trustees must seriously consider any more cuts at this level. “Farthest from the classroom” is a good policy in some cases, but any more loss of staff in this area, and the students will feel the impact.
City and school district salaries are not the only ones under consideration; water district, county, valley transit – every person who’s paycheck comes from the taxpayer should give the matter some thought.
We realize asking somebody else to give up counted-on money but this is crisis time. There are plenty of area residents with no jobs at all and many others forgoing pay raises.
