Workers get one-time 1% raise
The City of Hartselle passed its $9.9 million budget Tuesday night, which will give employees a one-time 1 percent pay increase for the fiscal year along with yearly step and merit raises earned by city employees.
City Clerk Rita Lee said the 1 percent pay increase would be paid in a separate direct deposit from their normal salaries.
“The pay increase is based on their yearly salary,” Lee said. “They will receive a paycheck that is 1 percent of their annual salary on Oct. 1.”
Lee said the pay increase isn’t like an across-the-board raise because it will not change the city’s pay grid.
“It’s a one-time pay increase that the city isn’t tied to in the future,” Lee said. “We wanted to do something for our employees this year, but we didn’t want to change the entire pay grid with an across-the-board raise.”
Lee said all employees would receive this raise. The cost of this one-time pay raise is $55,280.32.
City employees who receive a good evaluation at the end of the year will also be eligible for an annual one-time pay increase. Part-time employees receive $50 while full-time employees will get $100. Employees who have topped out on the city pay scale will collect $200.
“Only employees who receive a good evaluation will receive this pay increase,” Lee said. “This paycheck will be issued during the month of December.”
Also, each employee who is on schedule to receive merit and step raises will do so on the anniversary on his or her employment, as long as they receive a good evaluation.
Overall, the city is expecting $9.919 million in revenue and $9.812 in expenditures, with $106,906.42 of revenue more than expenditures.
The Police Department has the largest piece of the budget, accounting for $2.548 million for 25.7 percent of the city’s expenses. The Fire Department is second with $1.459 million for 14.7 percent followed by public works with $1.337 million for 13.5 percent, park and recreation with $1.292 million for 13 percent and administration with $1.226 million for 12.4 percent.
The city also has allocated $350,000 for the city school system for 3.5 percent and the Department of Development accounts for $337,725.03 for 3.4 percent. All other departments account for less than 2 percent of the 2012 budget.
Late additions to the budget are a $5,000 consulting fee for the landscape grant, $3,940 to advertise in book sponsored by the Decatur/Morgan County Chamber of Commerce and $1,000 for a library aide through the North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments.
The projected general fund balance for Sept. 30, 2012 is $4.035 million, which is down from $4.339 on Oct. 1, 2010, and from $4.349 million at the end of August this year. When the capital budget is included, the general fund will be reduced to $3.608 million.
