Columbus City Council on Tuesday committed much of its projected $500,000 Fiscal Year 2024 surplus for raises to city employees and creating two new positions.
However, it did not vote on the actual budget — which must be approved by Sept. 15 — during the special-call meeting at City Hall.
Last month the city began weighing a proposed $26 million budget that included a surplus of about $700,000. Chief Financial Officer James Brigham told the council they could safely obligate about $500,000 of that.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the council spent about $300,000 off the top on 3% raises for all employees. It would go on to dedicate about $92,000 on step pay for Columbus Police Department officers and a further $25,000 for targeted raises at Columbus Fire and Rescue.
The council also created two positions: a grant manager and an assistant at the Trotter Convention Center, before approving about $108,000 for service and upgrades at the Crime Lab.
“I think (raises) are the starting point,” Vice Mayor and Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens said during the discussion. “We’re going to ask (department heads) to bring their good mind, their Sunday mind, today. Some will get some (money) and some won’t, and don’t hold it against us if you don’t get nothing.”
CPD Chief Joseph Daughtry asked for step raises to be implemented for patrol officers.
“This will help us with our retention,” Daughtry said.
Under the new pay scale, a starting patrol salary will be bumped from $39,500 to $40,000. Patrol officers with two years experience will go from $41,500 now to $43,500; at three years from $41,500 now to $45,000; and at six years officers will make $48,500.
Officers who now have six years of experience are paid anywhere between $41,500 and $45,000, according to Chief Operations Officer Jammie Garrett.
The 3% across-the-board raises passed 4-1 with Mickens, Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard, Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones and Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco voting yes and Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene opposed. Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Stewart was not at the meeting.
The police step increases passed unanimously.
Fire and Rescue raises
CFR Chief Duane Hughes asked for raises for two positions in his department: the administrative assistant and the assistant chief. He asked for the administrative assistant to go from $31,070 to $39,750 and for the assistant chief — which is currently vacant — to be increased from $60,000 to $68,000.
The assistant chief and the chief of training both made the same salary even though the assistant chief has the higher rank, Hughes said.
Garrett told the council Hughes needed a raise, too. He currently makes $71,000, and Garrett suggested a rate of $80,000.
Hughes disagreed that he needed a raise, asking only for the other two positions.
“Other department heads need an assistant to help them out,” Mickens said. “(Daughtry) has two assistant chiefs helping him out. … But I don’t see you getting nobody to help you.”
“I’m extraordinary,” Hughes replied. “I work my ass off.”
Greene moved, with a second by DiCicco, to give raises to the administrative assistant, assistant chief and Hughes.
The motion passed unanimously, at a total cost of about $25,000.
New positions, other expenditures
The council also created two positions: a grant manager requested by Mayor Keith Gaskin and an assistant at the Trotter Convention Center requested by Trotter Manager Rogena Bonner.
Gaskin originally put two new City Hall positions in the budget: a grant manager with a $50,000 salary, and a city planner at $70,000 per year. The council cut the city planner position but decided to fund the grant manager.
“If we go with one, I would be for the grant writer,” Mickens said. “From a department heads’ standpoint, (a grant writer) can help everybody. When they need help, that’s somebody they can all fall back on.”
Greene moved, with a second by Mickens, to fund the grant manager position. The motion passed unanimously.
At the last budget work session Bonner asked for a full-time assistant, noting that there wasn’t anybody at the Trotter who could do her job while she was out. The council decided to meet her halfway, doing away with two currently empty part-time positions at a combined cost of $26,000, and putting that money toward funding the assistant, who will have a salary of $42,000.
Beard moved, with a second by Jones, to create the position, and the motion passed unanimously.
In the last bit of personnel action, the council voted unanimously to allow Public Works Director Casey Bush to eliminate an unfilled concrete finisher position and spread the $30,596 salary between 10 skilled laborers in Public Works.
Bush said the increase would help him retain workers, who often leave for higher paying jobs with Lowndes County.
Finally, the council voted unanimously to spend $108,000 for software and technology upgrades at the Crime Lab. That money will go towards service contracts for the lab’s three gas chromatography/mass spectrometry machines, as well as upgrades to the evidence system.
By the end of the meeting, all but about $39,000 of the $500,000 surplus had been spent. The council opted to adjourn without approving the budget in order to allow Brigham and Garrett to confirm spending figures.
The council will meet again later this week to approve the budget.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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