Reader Notes: Confine Pay Raises To Cost Of Living Increases
Nov 12, 2008 14:02 - 7 Comments
>The following Reader Note is from Jacques Gelin:
Times are increasingly hard for Rockville residents, along with the rest of the nation. Accordingly, I suggest that the city confine pay raises to city employees to cost of living increases, and that it forgo entirely any additional pay increases. I also suggest that the city implement a hiring freeze.–Jacques Gelin
Rockville Central has begun a new feature called Reader Notes. These are sort of like letters to the editor in a traditional newspaper. Got something on your mind that doesn’t necessarily fit into a comment, or rise to the level of a longer Contributor Opinion or Contributor Review? Just send it in to us and we may publish it as a quick Reader Note. Short is good! Just a few sentences.
This is just another way we are trying to capture the voices of as many of our friends and neighbors throughout Our Fair City as possible!
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That’s a great idea!!>
Maybe we could cut back on our City services too, one trash pickup a week, cut down to one leaf pickup and reduce staff on snow plowing. Maybe we should cut down on all the recreation programs the City offers, and the Police force too.
Rockville residents have become spoiled when it comes to their City services, but when they had a chance to cut back on trash they flipped out. Now that times are tough, they want to punish the hard working City employees. Great idea!!
Thank you for your comment above. You make a valid point.>
However, please don’t be snide or sarcastic towards someone else’s honestly-rendered opinion. While a biting tone can be the hallmark of many blogs — it isn’t appropriate to this particular space. (Here’s our comment policy.)
Thanks for understanding.
–Brad Rourke
Founder and Publisher
Keep in mind that pay increases are limited when times are not so tough.>
If you look at the market over many years, you will find the private sector earns more than the public sector.
I’m not saying cost cutting should be out of the question but knee jerk reactions are bad business, public or private.
Hmmm… implement a hiring freeze and limit City employee pay increases just because other jurisdictions are facing budgetary shortfalls — not sure I follow your logic on this.
From what I understand, the City has done a nice job in the past few years under new Finance Dept. leadership of tracking and cutting needless spending. The City has announced that it is ok financially and is doing well enough not to make any cuts. Instead of trying to get rid of these fine guardians of our tax dollars, we should be thankful we are not in the mess most of the local jurisdictions are in. >
Way to go Rockville staff!!
I am a past (recent past) employee of the City of Rockville and am very disapointed to hear residents think it’s acceptable to only give cost of living increases and/or a hiring freeze.>
The City of Rockville staff are the HARDEST working people I have ever worked with. These people work 60-80+ hours EACH week. Not just sometimes. Not just during an election year or Hometown Holidays. But ALL THE TIME.
If you take their salary and divide by the hours they work, they are making next to nothing.
They aren’t paid enough!!
I’m not kidding.
You pay less, you get less qualified people. Plain and simple. You don’t hire more people people like me quit because they are doing the job of 2-3 people.
Anne Robbins too agrees a hiring free, less money is acceptable and I say shame on everyone who thinks that.
The City of Rockville staff are GODS if you ask me. Hard working, dedicated, put their personal life/families aside, underpaid, highly educated and so much more and you want to not reward them for it?
Watch them go to places like where I am where I’m making more money and working less. How does the residents of Rockville benefit from that?
I agree that we shouldn’t penalize city workers. Our city manager should assure that there are no extraneous jobs on the roles. I’d rather keep needed employees well paid and here, rather than risk having to hire new and untested staff.