Gahanna employees in line for 3 percent raises
Gahanna City Council is mulling over a proposed 3 percent salary increase for the city’s 51 full-time and 35 part-time nonunion employees.
Sue Wadley, the city’s human resources director, presented a compensation plan to City Council at a Jan. 9 committee meeting.
Council members were expected to discuss the salary increases during committee meetings Monday, Jan. 23, with a vote on the issue expected by Feb. 6.
Wadley said the 3 percent increase would cost the city $105,492 in payroll and benefits.
The employees include administrative staff, supervisors, directors and regular part-time employees who are not part of the city’s bargaining units.
“Employees in these positions have not received salary increases since 2009 and many have assumed additional duties and responsibilities over the last few years due to attrition and layoffs,” Wadley said. “If the ordinance is not approved, 2012 would be the third year with no increase.”
She said the city of Gahanna has one of the lowest employee-to-resident ratios in Central Ohio, at 1-to-250.
“One of Gahanna’s strategic goals in human resources is to maintain external equality, ensuring we are paying a competitive market rate,” Wadley said. “This goal lessens the cost of turnover and is vital to recruiting and retaining quality, professional employees, who directly impact the quality of services delivered to the citizens.
“Another strategic goal is to maintain internal equity among the employees, including the bargaining units,” she said.
She said the city conducted salary studies in 2005 and 2008 that indicated Gahanna salaries were 2 percent to 3 percent below the market rate that similar and surrounding municipalities were paying for similar positions.
“Not giving our employees this proposed increase would intensify that gap,” she said.
Wadley said Gahanna does not pay its employees’ portion of retirement contributions, which some cities have begun to do in lieu of salary increases.
She said if the salary increase ordinance is approved, the increases would be retroactive to Jan. 1.
Article source: http://www.snponline.com/articles/2012/01/27/multiple_papers/news/allghpayra_20120126_0813pm_5.txt