Economic Downturn Leaves City Employees with Raises (Charlotte: insurance, house)

[PeytonC]

How do you like this one? The recession has caused a budget crisis, has left libraries in peril, teachers are losing their jobs, and city/county services are being slashed. I realize that those misfortunes are mainly at the county level, but thank goodness the city government employees can get their raise. If we the people don't stand up and get loud about this, they will continue to see themselves as royalty, deserving more from our tax money, while the services our money SHOULD be paying for diminish. Why do they get the red carpet? Why don't they consider sacrifice when things get tough? They think the citizens should sacrifice, but they shouldn't? Pathetic.

From The Charlotte Observer:

The city eliminated raises and bonuses for fiscal year 2010, but city staff believes the economy is improving and has recommended a 2 percent raise pool for city workers for the year that begins July 1.

From 2008 to 2009, the number of city employees whose base salary was more than $100,000 jumped from 89 to 117. This year, because of the salary freeze, there are still 117 city employees whose salary is more than $100,000.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/05/23/1452400/city-salary-story-for-sunday-local.html#ixzz0olIVk5ae

[Native_Son]

The city has managed themselves better than the County. I think a 2% raise is better than the bs "bailout" to Meck. Co. The "bailout" mentality is killing this country.

[Sylbeth]

Peyton C....Why can't you just realize that this whole thing is a losing battle, because you are not going to be able to part these greedy people from "their" money. It is a slap in every unemployed persons face that these people continue to be able to give themselves the "royal" treatment of even a sliver of a raise. Can you even imagine that there are people out there working three small jobs, just to put food on their tables, while this bunch of "Royalty" can wine and dine at the best places, shop at South Park...and get the red carpet treatment wherever they go. They want you to "think" they are concerned about the less fortunate....but what they "think" and what they "actually" do, are worlds a part from each other. You are right...all of us need to get loud about it.....its not going to get any better, if we don't stand up to it!! Pathetic is the right word for this situation!!

[stlterp]

"Royalty" like police officers, fire fighters, sanitation workers, etc?

Not saying that the raises are right, but it's not like all the raises are going to bureaucrats.

[brokensky]

Well, seems to me that the most important thing is not to have to lay off folks. So I would rather forego my raise and know that maybe that saved some jobs (everyone foregoing their raises) in a situation like we have going today.

Plus, with parks and libraries being cut - it just seems pretty darn dumb to be giving ANYONE in the city/county a raise.

[Sylbeth]

"Royalty" ......meaning the Upper Crust....those that "make the decisions" to give a sliver of a raise to the firemen...policemen...etc. That is to justify their own greed for the raises they have given themselves.
If all those raises were taken away from the Upper Crust Royalty...and any other raises they have given out......perhaps there would be enough to make sure that our teachers....(the very ones that are teaching the future).....kept their jobs. As Ani stated....NO ONE should be getting a raise...not in this economy!! The firemen and policemen....have a job....they are getting paychecks....what about the "teachers" that don't have a job....will they get a paycheck?

[uncharch7]

If you realize that most of the cuts are actually at the county level and not the city, why is this such a big deal to you? If you read the article carefully, other things are being cut which affects city employees directly (specifically 401k matches and police overtime, which a lot of cops rely on). Parks and Rec cuts are at the county level. Library cuts are the county level. Teacher cuts are at the county level. County budget =/= City budget. They're separate things.

For employees that are typically paid well below market rate, they're already a step behind the private sector in income. 2% doesn't equate to all that much. And, for the record, I've been unemployed for 16 months. I've been the one in the past working 3 jobs, being significantly underpaid, just so I can pay my bills. I still have no issues with the city giving its employees a 2% raise. That's not even enough to cover an annual cost of living increase, which is typically 3-4% annually. I don't have the time to research the average city employee salary right now, but even at a $50k salary, we're talking about $1000 annually per employee. Yes, it all adds up, but these are still people with mouths to feed and bills to pay.

The city has worked hard to make cuts elsewhere in order to keep and reward employees for their hard work. That part is no different than any private sector employer, which there are still many employers giving raises.

If you want to think of it as your tax dollars going to treating City employees as "royalty", then go right ahead and be bitter. No one's going to stop you. But please, the next time you have to rely on a City employee to provide a service to you (if your house burns down, you get in a car accident, you have to call code enforcement, or heck, even calling 311), at least think of your tax dollars being hard at work to allow those services to be available to you. You never know when you're going to need a City employee to help you out; they deserve raises just like any other hard working employee, no matter where they work.

[Charlotteborn]

I think it is crazy that anyone working for the city or county would get a raise at this time. I am a single mom and my income for 2009 was less than 1/2 of 2007. 2010 is not looking any better. My expenses (property taxes, gas, food, insurance, etc.) have all stayed the same (or gone up!) and I am squeaking by on less and less - so can the city/county workers.

[Sylbeth]

The "big deal" uncharch7....is that there are "people" out there that do not have a job, they don't have reserves to tap into, probably their friends are all tapped out too....and are probably in the same boat as they are. What happens to these people in the meantime....while they are waiting for the unemployment checks to appear? Perhaps you can give them some wisdom....maybe write a book on how you have managed all these sixteen months without a job. Maybe city/county...are separate things to you......but each have "people" in them that are losing their jobs left and right.
Raises should't be given out at this time to anyone who is taking home a paycheck......especially the Upper Crust Royalty.....how could their needs supersede those that don't have a job or monies coming in to pay their bills? Why is it so hard for the UCR to live off of one, two or three hundred "thousand" (or more) a year....then give themselves bonus packages...and then a raise!!
As for the private sector employer giving raises.....many are on something thinner than a tightrope.....hanging on with every thing that they have available to them....to keep their employees employeed. Drive down any road..in any commercial area...and see how many people have had to close their doors......not because they wanted to, but because they had to. You think its tough on the people that work really hard for the city and deservingly should get a raise....think also about the person who has put their whole life into their business...only to see it go down hill...into the dust, while they too...lose everything they ever worked for!! Where will their paycheck come from?
I honestly don't think of tax dollars being "mine"....I think of them as being "ours".....to be used for the good of all.

[stlterp]

So, how many city workers fall into this "Upper Crust Royalty" definition of yours? There will always be people out of work, always be people struggling. When will it be OK to give out raises again? Remember that the city workers got no raises last year.

In business, there will always be companies opening and closing. It's just the way it is. The company I work for had layoffs last year, eliminated pay raises and 401K match, etc....but we are now hiring again, gave raises and bonuses, brought back a modified match.