10-11-10 Common Council Meeting Minutes

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 11, 2010 Councilmember Varner made a motion to amend Bill No. 53-10. Councilmember Oliver Davis seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven (7) ayes. Councilmember LaFountain, Chairperson, Personnel and Finance Committee, reported that this committee held Public Hearings on these bills this afternoon and voted to send them to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Varner asked Mr. Zientara if Bill No. 54-10 includes the proposed 2% proposed pay raise. th Gregg Zientara, City Controller, 12 Floor County-City Building, 227 W. Jefferson Boulevard, South Bend, Indiana, stated that the answer is yes. The budget that originally was presented to Council back in early September and the budget before the Council tonight and would be voting on tonight does in fact include a budgeted 2% salary increase for all so called non-bargaining employees. Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand asked Mr. Zientara for clarification on if the 2% increase was over and above the 2010 salary ordinance. Mr. Zientara stated no, it’s a 2% increase over and above the wage earned in 2010, that’s what the budget includes. Councilmember Varner asked how much that would be. Mr. Zientara stated that the 2% would be approximately $400,000 in wages just for the non-bargaining. Councilmember Rouse stated that what he believes the Council Attorney is asking is that back in 2009 they passed the 2010 budget that allowed a 2% salary increase. He stated that the administration allowed in the ordinance a salary increase of 2%. He asked Mr. Zientara if there was $200,000 left over from the budget from this year and then another $200,000 for next year 2011. Mr. Zientara stated that it dates back to the fall of 2008, the Council approved a salary ordinance that increased the salaries for non-bargaining employees by 2%. From 2008 up to 2009. In fiscal 2009, the City Administration took the decision not to give the non- bargaining employees an increase. In the fall of 2009, the Council approved an increase in the salary ordinance again the salaries went up by 2%, the salary ordinance went up by 2%, but the City Administration decided not to give that 2% to the employees. So at that point in time theoretically, the salary ordinance was 4% above what someone was making. In July 2010, the City Administration then took administrative action to increase the salaries for the majority of non-bargaining employees by 2%. Therefore meant that the 2010 salary ordinance was theoretically 2% higher that what everybody was making. In each of the years the monies for those salary increases were included in the budget but the funds were not expended and it was the city administration’s decision to affect the spending control over city operations and to address the issue of the reduction of property tax revenue. Councilmember Varner asked for clarification. He stated regardless of what the number is or how we got there, it is that number that is used to set the levy. Mr. Zientara stated that is correct. Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand stated the Councilmember White and Councilmember Puzzello had requested a breakdown by department, not by name, just positions, what was budgeted, what was actually paid. Mr. Zientara asked if that request had come to them and is at a loss. 3