By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, May 18, 2006 at 2:43 PM
READ IT HERE FIRST Labels: Breaking_News, Mayor
Mayor Francis Slay sent out an email to city employees today touting the "renaissance" and continued population growth which was featured in a USA Today story last week.
"As I have said many times, St. Louis would not be improving if it weren't for the thousands of dedicated City employees who work hard every day to deliver a high quality product to our customers," wrote Slay in a copy of the email obtained by PUB DEF.
Then the mayor dropped the other shoe.
"That's why it pains me that we will not be funding pay raises for the fiscal year that begins in July," he said.
Slay said he has asked the City's Operations Manager, Ron Smith, to develop a plan that will provide a pay raise for all employees no later than July of 2007.
Employees received a 2% increase last year, but many say that the higher cost of the health care plan picked by the city has eaten that increase and more.
"It is my hope that the combination of tightening our belts this year and a growth in revenue will provide the resources necessary to meet my goal," said Slay.
The mayor commented on a recent story by Jim Merkel of the Southside Journal reporting significant pay increases for some managers. "You may not agree with what we have done. But, I want to give you straight talk," said Slay.
"It has been alleged that the Deputy Director of the Community Development Administration (CDA) got a pay raise. That is not true," he said. "We haven't had a Deputy Director at CDA for a year-and-a-half. By keeping that position vacant and asking the Acting Director [John Rataj] to do both jobs, we are actually saving $88,322."
According to Merkel, Rataj received an 18% pay increase, from $82,345 to $96,876.
Gene Stubblefield, the Correctional Center Superintendent, got a 10% salary increase, from $89,310 to $98,252. Slay said that Stubblefield is actually serving in two capacities, serving also as acting Commissioner of Corrections. "Gene is being paid more because he has more responsibility," said Slay. He said by not filling the Commissioner position, the City is actually saving $111,308 per year.
Slay said Director of Human Resources Rick Frank did receive a pay raise last September, but will not get another one next year. "Rick is very pro-employee and has been pushing hard to fairly compensate all City employees," he said.
Frank's pushing was successful for at least one person in his department. He got a 10% pay increase, from $92,742 to $102,024.
10 Comments:
It's curious that he's interested in providing "products" to his "customers" instead of "services" to his "citizens."
5/18/2006 2:59 PM
What fine salaries those gentlemen have!
5/18/2006 3:31 PM
It's amazing how every year the supervisors get compensated for doing a good job of managing employees who are doing more and more and receive nothing.
Mangers making over a hundred grand a year need it more than the custodian whose insurance and gas cost continues to rise, but doesn't get a raise? This is shameful! Who is doing the work, the manager or the employee?
Slay's managers get an average of $10,000 per year. Mr. Franks got a $12,00 year increase in the middle of the fiscal year after 1 year on the job! City employees got 2% last year, Slay assistant Charles Bryson got $19,000.
Whats the percentage of names necessary to recall the mayor?
5/18/2006 8:16 PM
This is terrible news. What a way to make our city look shit poor and corrupt -- freeze wages except for those on top, some of which surpass $100K.
Do we live in Coleman Young's Detroit?
5/19/2006 3:43 PM
I find it interesting that there are a few comments about the city employees not receiving pay raises, while no one has commented on the lack of funding for the workers' pension.
That bill will come due. St. Louis is not the only city dealing with it. Municipalities, and states, all over have been negotiating unsustainable contracts for the citizens. For it is the citizens who will have to pay the pensions.
Do we want benefit cuts for the workers like those at GM, or other financially 'on the ropes' companies? The workers have been promised something and we should try our best to deliver.
Do we want benefit cuts for present citizens, in reduced services that the city provides? St. Louis is gaining population, and not keeping services up could risk that trend.
Do we want higher taxes? The earnings tax already drives some people and businesses away from the City.
No good options.
5/19/2006 6:44 PM
The reason the pension system is in such a mess is partly because of the Mayor. Most people aren't aware of the kind of increases that the Fire Department's pension fund has received over the years. They've had pension increases at a 3 to 1 ratio to city employees and 4 to 1 with the police. In fact, Slay, then President of the Board of Aldermen, approved a $30 million dollar loan in 1997 or 98 for the firefighters underfunded pension.
However, he continued to vote over and over again for them to have benefit improvements despite the fund being in debt. So did other Alderman, and no one talks about it. Police officers can't retire on disability unless they have 10 years vested. Yet firefighters injured on the job after 1 day receive 75% of their pensions.
The fire and police departments pension board sued to make the city contribute to thier pensions, city employees didn't. Now the crisis is even worse.
Police and fire do receive longevity increases every year even when city employees don't. While the work that police and firefighters perform is important and deserves to pay well, they are not the only working families out here. City employees pay the same for gas, medical insurance,mortages that they do and they haven't recieved a raise in a long, long time.
Police and Fire are eligible to retire at 55 years of age, City employees must be 65 for a full pension. They can retire with the rule of 85 but they get a 4% penalty for each year that they are under 65 if they have reached that age..
This is hardly fair.
5/19/2006 10:40 PM
Wouldn't a cafeteria plan solve the pension and insurance woes? Allow the employees to self-direct their funds, as they can best choose where their dollars should go.
5/21/2006 2:14 AM
To travis:
It would solve the problem of getting the obligations off the city's ledger and onto each individual's list of things to make sure get done. However, unions are loathe to give up pensions that last for the rest of their life, no matter how long that life may be. Their spouses may be covered as well. Nobody knows what health care will cost, or what the cost of living will be. However, such a system puts the city on the look for difficult to evaluate liabilities.
5/22/2006 8:35 AM
I predict that within ten years, unfortunately, the City of St. Louis Employees Retirement System (ERS) - the one that serves almost everybody EXCEPT Police and Firefighters - will be changed to a 403b-type plan for new employees, and possibly even for new retirees.
The Police and Fire pension funds are sacrosanct. They can retire earlier because they are legally required to retire (by age 60 I think), whereas other jobs you can keep working the rest of your life if you so desire.
By the way, I am no relation to the new personnel director Mr. Frank, as best I know.
5/22/2006 11:42 AM
Today,
The Mayor sent out an email to City employees stating that he and Steve Conway had come up with a plan to get employees a raise.
Ways and Means voted today to give the employees 3% on January,2007. Where is the money coming from and why should city employees have to wait until January and the Mayors appointees receive their raises in July, 06?
What has the City Counselor done to deserve a $18,304 raise? All she's done is lose case after case since she's been there.
5/24/2006 4:31 PM
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