The mayor’s proposed 4.1 percent raise for all Pine Bluff city employees emerged unaltered from a budget committee meeting Friday, but aldermen made clear they still considering changes in the lead up to Monday’s city council meeting when the final vote is expected.
The discussion was heated at times as the Public Safety Committee discussed Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr.’s proposed 4.1 percent raise for the majority of city employees, 8 percent raise for police sergeants and lieutenants and 5.5 percent raise for minimum wage employees. The 4.1 percent raise would also apply to the salaries of elected officials like the mayor, aldermen, city attorney and others.
The Fraternal Order of Police Pine Bluff Lodge No. 2 submitted a letter asking the council to spend $600,000 on raises for public safety employees, referencing a figure that was stated frequently by city officials during the campaign to pass the five-eighths-cent city sales tax that was approved by voters in February 2011. Redus disputed this on Friday, saying that the stated figure was always “up to $600,000.”
Reports in The Commercial on presentations made by city officials during the tax campaign do not include the “up to.”
The FOP letter states that Redus and Finance Director Steve Miller came to a FOP meeting an gave a presentation on the tax and the statement was made that $600,000 would be for public safety raises. Soon thereafter, the FOP issued a statement in support of the tax.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Miller said during the budget meeting Friday that Redus’ proposed budget includes about $523,615 in raises for uniformed and non-uniformed public safety employees. For uniformed public safety employees alone, Miller said the figure is $491,615 for the police and fire departments.
Miller and Redus said that counting all the across-the-board raises proposed in the mayor’s budget, the city would be spending about $710,000 on raises.
In the letter from the FOP — signed by President Officer David Ellington and trustees Capt. Greg Shapiro and Officer Billy Dixon — they ask the council to “honor the proposal as it was presented.”
“We are simply asking that the right thing be done and [the council] follow through with the promises made to public safety and to the citizens of Pine Bluff who were gracious enough to support us in this tax endeavor,” the letter states.
After making the statement that the campaign phrase was always “up to $600,000,” Redus asked Assistant City Attorney Joe Childers to speak. Childers explained that the raises for public safety employees did not appear on the ballot when the tax was passed, so therefore the council has the option to fund the raises as a political promise, but it is not actually required by law.
Committee Chairman Irene Holcomb said if the amount was stated publicly, it should have appeared on the ballot so that it would be clear what people were voting for.
“If that amount was said, not putting it on the ballot is a way of saying, ‘I won’t do it,’ and like I said, I’ll never be involved in working for another tax to get passed,” Holcomb said. “Things should be specific on the ballot. That was the problem with the tax in ‘93, there wasn’t specific things on the ballot. And I thought this tax would be on the up and up, and that’s why I went out there and stumped for it. If it was said that it would be $600,000, that should have been specified on the ballot. I don’t think we should mislead people on the ballot — [with them thinking they’re] voting for one thing and something else is on the ballot.”
Holcomb said that the $600,000 was conveniently left off the ballot. Redus disagreed.
“The fact that we’re at about $75,000 difference, that’s in the council’s hands. If y’all want to do something different,” Redus said, slamming his hand down on the podium, “then you have the power to do it. You just have to find the money.”
Holcomb, who repeatedly reminded Redus during the meeting that she was chairing it, said she did not like Redus’ tone.
“Well, Mrs. Holcomb, that’s just how it is,” Redus said. “And I don’t like your tone, sitting here and accusing people of being deceitful. That’s not fair — plus in a public environment. We’re not going to be deceitful to these citizens. We are going to do everything that we can possibly do and spend their money in a fair and equitable and balanced way.”
Redus said the key point is that the council has the final say on what to do about raises.
Redus said that his proposal was carefully researched with the help of the Human Resources and Finance departments with the goal of bringing the salaries in line with cities of comparable size. Redus said that employees who earn larger salaries bring experience to the table and should not be punished.
“It’s the fairest, it’s the most equitable, it’s the most cost-effective way to do this. … The objective here is, let’s be fair to people who work for this city and haven’t had pay increases in two years,” Redus said.
Alderman Wayne Easterly said the $600,000 figure was based on projections. Now that the tax is coming in, the actual amounts are coming in lower.
Alderman Thelma Walker said the argument about whether the $600,000 was on the ballot or not was beside the point.
“I’m not concerned so much by what was on the ballot, but what was promised,” Walker said, adding that the issue is about trust.
“It’s about keeping the word that was given,” Walker said. “If $600,000 was what was said, that’s what we need to stick with.”
A different proposal to give all city employees a flat, across-the-board raise of $1,800 has also been discussed, but failed to get much support at the last full city council meeting. At Friday’s meeting, Redus said that proposal would cost the city an estimated $800,000 in raises.
The Public Safety Committee — Holcomb, Easterly and Alderman Bill Brumett — voted to forward the mayor’s proposed budget without any changes concerning the raises to the Ways and Means Committee, which will have the option of forwarding it to the full council. In voting to forward the item, both Holcomb and Brumett verbally reiterated that changes can still be made and that ultimately, the matter will be decided by the full council.
The Ways and Means Committee will meet at 4 p.m. Monday to give extra time before the full council meeting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss this topic and other issues related to the budget.
Brumett, Holcomb and Walker make up the Ways and Means Committee.