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Jamestown employees won't get pay raises

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

(Updated 12:44 pm)

Some town employees left the Jamestown Town Council meeting Tuesday night with a bang of the front door after the council approved removing merit pay raises from the 2009-10 budget.

“My job is not to be the popular person or a go-with-the-flow person,” Council member Georgia Nixon-Roney said. She noted that several industries are seeing pay cuts and layoffs and she couldn’t justify giving raises to town employees when others are struggling. “I feel the economy is going to get worse before it gets better,” she said.

Councilman Larry Lain, a former town employee, said he feels for town employees but senior citizens aren’t getting cost of living increases next year.

Councilman Frank Gray said he saw the merit raises as another tool that helps manager Kathryn Billings do her job and reward employees for their hard work. “It’s not the employees fault we’re in the economy we’re in,” he said.

All council members agreed that the town staff does a phenomenal job and deserves raises, but most couldn’t see asking taxpayers to pay salary increases when many residents are facing cuts.

The motion to remove the merit increases passed 3-1 with Gray voting against.

To balance the budget, $14,750 in revenues was taken out of the funds for water and sewer and the sales taxes.

The final budget is $6,724,656.

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241, or elizabeth.seagraves@news-record.com

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truth

June 17, 2009 - 1:11 pm EDT

I don't know why on God's green earth the employees in Jamestown would think they would be getting a pay raise. Look across the state folks. You're lucky you're not getting a paycut or laid off.

histrion

June 17, 2009 - 4:49 pm EDT

“It’s not the employees' fault we’re in the economy we’re in.”

Boy, why didn't I think of trying that line on *my* boss?

jms0246

June 17, 2009 - 5:11 pm EDT

The Jamestown employees should be thankful to have a job. I bet that unemployment benefits does not pay anywhere near what they make including their benefits and numerous days for closings. Also you still have to pay NC taxes on unemployment.

Some would be glad to have their job and they can have the unemployment benefit, especially since it runs out in 3 weeks.

jimtown

June 17, 2009 - 9:24 pm EDT

It should be pointed out that the Jamestown Budget did not have a salary increase to be applied across the staff. The MERIT amount removed from the budget was for the managements use to award excellence in employee performance. It is a commonly used bonus struccture that is a part of employee retention. The Town of Jamestown has been fortunate to have a devoted staff that take pride in the operations of this town. They are the people with years of hard work and devotion to a thankless career. These are the people who work 10 hour days only to be called out at two in the morning to dig out the mud to fix a water main break so the the citizens won't be without sevices when they wake up. They are the same ones who work all day long only to have to start pushing snow all night long so we can go about out daliy routine. The amount removed was less than 1% of a 6Mil budget. This small investment in people who bring so much value to the town should not have been removed. After all, the budget presented had no tax increase, and did not tap into reserve funds. I for one think the employees who worked hard all year to save the town the money to allow this line item deserve the managers consideration and incentive to continue that excellence in the coming months. I can only hope my management will recognize the value I bring to the company that employs me.