A fly on the wall during a closed door session reports it like this. Now I must admit I do not speak “fly” with any fluency so this is a loose translation. Here is what was reported. First Council person said, “You know, Milton keeps trying to be fiscally responsible by calling for Police layoffs, rolling brownouts of fire stations, and even closing them. If we agree, it will make us look bad”. Second council person, “I know, we will give me a big fat, wholly undeserved bonus, and an exorbitant pay raise. He is too greedy to turn it down, and it will take the wind out of his sails”. Third Council person says agreed, and if it makes him STFU then we can get back to doing what we do best, getting our pictures in the paper and collecting full time pay for our part time jobs”
Are you kidding me? Milton is getting pay raise and a bonus? His bonus is $35,000, which is more than some city workers make in a year, and way more than those city workers currently laid off and waiting to be recalled. The raise increases his annual salary from $234,000 to $255,000. The additional lump sum payment makes up for raises he missed in recent years when he took the same wage freezes that all non-union city employees were forced to take to help relieve budget deficits, said Meg Olberding, his spokeswoman. Sounds like a good strategy. Can the rest of the City workers who also have not seen a pay raise in five years expect a lump sum to make up for the pay raises they haven’t received in five years?
I am sorry folks but this is just plain wrong. What ever happened to the City budget crisis? How many millions are the deficit now. What about the laid off employees waiting for recall. What about the safety issue with Police and Fire who are understaffed and have had a hiring freeze for a good number of years. Anybody noticed the potholes do not get fixed as quickly or as well as they used to? Are the parks maintained as well as they used to be? Look around you, everywhere you look are signs of a City in decline, a City of the verge of being broke, everywhere except the City Manager’s office that is.
I am not sure why City Council thinks this pay raise is a good idea. Why they think this slap in the face (and wallets) to other City workers will inspire worker loyalty. I fail to discern any benefit to anyone at all, except Milton Doughhoney, by this irresponsible action on the part of City Council. All I know for sure is what party is in the majority, and I guess that says it all. Kudos to those few who voted against this.
“So it is written so shall it be”