council3_rubal
Well-known member
Bureau of Labor and Statistics website: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm
BLS: "The all items index rose 2.7 percent for the 12 months ending July, after rising 2.7% over the last 12 months
ending June."
Social Security website: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/cpiw.html (Suggest CPI 2.5% for 2025)
Please note that UC employees receive a salary increase of 2.5% per year (continuous for 20 years). UC step increases will increase salaries 60% over 20 years compared to Federal GS increases of only about 30%. This is without a COLA (Cost-of-living adjustment). Full and part-time employees also receive longevity pay. It is noteworthy that the budget does not categorize salary step or COLA increases.
As generally defined, a Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), is a periodic increase in wages or benefits designed to offset the rising costs of goods and services due to inflation. It helps maintain the purchasing power of individuals by ensuring their income keeps pace with the increasing expenses of everyday life. In UC, COLAs are recommended by staff, but at the discretion of the Council to approve. COLAs are defined as inflation adjustments. They are NOT an answer to salary compensation adjustments and should not be applied differentially. They are in addition to the step increases.
Although compensation packages (e.g. retirement and medical benefits) with UC step increases and COLAs (with additional longevity pay increases) are tools for maintaining or recruiting personnel, this must be weighed against the tax burden, with the realization that the median individual income of our residents is between $38K-$42K. (Total household income about $74K for all household wage earners.) Property tax rates affect all residents and businesses.
In June, I had asked for a listing of current salaries by job categories (deidentified without names) and a deidentified zip code listing by job categories. The purpose was to compare the current median income of full-time employees with median individual incomes and to get an idea of the impact of City salaries on our local economy. At that time, it was stated that this could not be provided. Our City lacks transparency in posting salaries. This is unfortunate, and I hope the Council will support posting City salaries as a top issue for transparency. (Before becoming a council member through open records request, median city salaries exceeded median individual incomes by approximately $20K.)
Subsequently, a request for the salaries and job descriptions for the positions of the City Manager, Director of Public Works, and Director of Development was made and these were provided. It is reasonable for Council, pending a deliberation on increased property tax rates, to consider capping or reducing executive salaries. If done, I would suggest that any capped salary would continue to receive COLAs based on BLS numbers; however, step increases would be terminated when the cap is reached. Currently, the top-reported City salary exceeds $250,000 per year.
BLS: "The all items index rose 2.7 percent for the 12 months ending July, after rising 2.7% over the last 12 months
ending June."
Social Security website: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/cpiw.html (Suggest CPI 2.5% for 2025)
Please note that UC employees receive a salary increase of 2.5% per year (continuous for 20 years). UC step increases will increase salaries 60% over 20 years compared to Federal GS increases of only about 30%. This is without a COLA (Cost-of-living adjustment). Full and part-time employees also receive longevity pay. It is noteworthy that the budget does not categorize salary step or COLA increases.
As generally defined, a Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), is a periodic increase in wages or benefits designed to offset the rising costs of goods and services due to inflation. It helps maintain the purchasing power of individuals by ensuring their income keeps pace with the increasing expenses of everyday life. In UC, COLAs are recommended by staff, but at the discretion of the Council to approve. COLAs are defined as inflation adjustments. They are NOT an answer to salary compensation adjustments and should not be applied differentially. They are in addition to the step increases.
Although compensation packages (e.g. retirement and medical benefits) with UC step increases and COLAs (with additional longevity pay increases) are tools for maintaining or recruiting personnel, this must be weighed against the tax burden, with the realization that the median individual income of our residents is between $38K-$42K. (Total household income about $74K for all household wage earners.) Property tax rates affect all residents and businesses.
In June, I had asked for a listing of current salaries by job categories (deidentified without names) and a deidentified zip code listing by job categories. The purpose was to compare the current median income of full-time employees with median individual incomes and to get an idea of the impact of City salaries on our local economy. At that time, it was stated that this could not be provided. Our City lacks transparency in posting salaries. This is unfortunate, and I hope the Council will support posting City salaries as a top issue for transparency. (Before becoming a council member through open records request, median city salaries exceeded median individual incomes by approximately $20K.)
Subsequently, a request for the salaries and job descriptions for the positions of the City Manager, Director of Public Works, and Director of Development was made and these were provided. It is reasonable for Council, pending a deliberation on increased property tax rates, to consider capping or reducing executive salaries. If done, I would suggest that any capped salary would continue to receive COLAs based on BLS numbers; however, step increases would be terminated when the cap is reached. Currently, the top-reported City salary exceeds $250,000 per year.