There were no comments Monday night during the Common Council’s public hearing for the 2018 City Budget.
Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter opened the public meeting and asked board members for comments. No one responded. He then asked the public in attendance if they had any comments and again no response.
The budget set forward by Mayor Senter is $11.7 million with an advertised tax rate just over $2.
The City Council also heard on first reading of the revised 2018 Salary Ordinance Monday evening. When initially presented, the end of August, Mayor Senter had sought to bring employee positions up to the external mid-point that was presented from the salary survey while the Clerk/Treasurer had placed her office staff in the external high-point range of the salary survey.
In August Councilman Shawn Grobe said he couldn’t support the proposed ordinance that gave raises ranging to 20%.
Councilmen Gary Cook and Bill Walters were disappointed in the initial salary ordinance because emergency services did not receive a raise for 2018. They both served on the emergency services study committees and felt holding back on an additional raise for 2018 would be detrimental to retaining officers, firefighters and paramedics with the department.
During Monday’s meeting, the first reading of the salary ordinance received no comment, which is typical with first readings. The council will consider the ordinance on 2nd reading with discussion on September 25th.
WTCA received a copy of the 2018 Salary Ordinance and worksheet which does show a 2% raise for emergency services with the Police Chief receiving an 8% raise, Fire Chief receiving a 6.5% raise and Assistant Fire and Paramedic Chiefs each receiving a 6% increase.
While the average of all raises projected in the 2018 Salary ordinance is 5.10%, raises were as low as nothing for the School Crossing Guards and the Laboratory Technician in the Waste Water Department up to 17.5% for the Human Resources and Payroll Coordinator in the Clerk’s Office. Other substantial raises include an increase of 17.19% for the Assistant Superintendent at the Water Department, 15.84% for the Laboratory Technician Supervisor in Waste Water, 12% for the Assistant Superintendent at the Cemetery, Maintenance Supervisor and City Forester in the Park Department and Supervisor at the Street Department. Other double-digit increases were 11.98% for the Collection System Supervisor and 11.61% for the Assistant Superintendent in Waste Water, 11.98% for the Distribution System Supervisor and Maintenance Supervisor in the Water Department, and 10% raises for the Mechanics in the Street Department.
