Westminster residents? fury with the city?s proposed 2007 budget has centered on higher city employee benefits, while shedding light on the pay equity study the city commissioned from an outside consulting firm.
“I bet a lot of citizens here in Westminster do not have a list of benefits as good as this one,” said James Reter during Monday?s public hearing.
“Why don?t you give up some of your salaries, and put them in the coffers?” asked resident Ruth Anderson of Westminster?s politicians and department heads.
The mayor and City Council chose The Singer Group Inc. in December to carry out the comprehensive four-stage study for $78,000.
Residents have questioned the need for consultants, while city officials said the consulting firm would provide a neutral analysis that would maintain the confidence of city employees and residents.
The mayor and council said they hope the study?s outcome would attract and retain city employees.
According to Mayor Thomas Ferguson, pay increases totaling $555,375 budgeted for in the coming fiscal year are a combination of usual and customary step increases and a lumpsum estimate provided by the consulting firm based on average salaries of similar positions on the market for private and public organizations.
“The pay study to see how we compare with peers in the public and private sectors are complete,” said Joe Urban, Westminster?s director of finance, but “a new pay plan that will make us competitive with our peers will not be complete untilJune.”
The budget will be adopted Monday.
Other components of the outside study are also not complete. Recommendations for a new job evaluation system, including how supervisors grade performance of their subordinates, will be released in August. And a recommendation that would determine if a possible pay-performance program would be right for the city is due in September.
