More than 250 Greenwood employees, from public service to street workers, are getting a 5 percent pay increase in 2019, well above the cost-of-living hike most other public employees across the county are getting.
Mayor Mark Myers advocated for the increase in raises and more staff in eight departments, which will cost taxpayers an extra $1.85 million in tax dollars next year. In total, the city will spend $20 million on salaries. But tax rates in the city will not go up. In fact, it will stay about the same at 66 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
A third of the Greenwood City Council did not support the 5 percent pay increase most employees will get, saying that the raise was too high and not in line with what their constituents — the residents of Greenwood — are earning in their jobs.
The city clerk will get a 3 percent raise. Council members will get a 2 percent raise.
Myers said his staff of 263 employees have not seen a real raise for several years, but rather a cost of living adjustment. City employees got a 3 percent raise in 2018, 2017 and 2016, and a 2 percent raise in 2015.
“Every year, healthcare prices and deductibles go up. So really, they’re just breaking even or not making as much money at the end of the day. Now it’s feasible to not only meet that cost of living increase, but actually show those employees that we do appreciate them,” Myers said.
Greenwood’s healthy economy and population growth makes it feasible, he said.
Public safety will see the biggest chunk of that money; about $9.4 million of the $20 million in salaries goes to the police and fire departments.
The top-earning police sergeant will make $66,677 next year, up from $63,406 this year. The top-earning street worker will make $52,958 next year, up from $50,436 this year. Myers will make $97,871 next year, up from $93,210 this year.
Franklin officials approved a 2 percent pay increase for most city staff, and a 3 percent increase for some of the lower paid employees who needed to have their pay increased, Mayor Steve Barnett said. The city’s financial adviser reported that the cost of living in Johnson County increased by about 1.5 percent this year, Barnett said.
If approved, most county employees would receive a 3 percent raise next year, county council member Pete Ketchum said. Correctional officers would get a 5 percent bump.
The Greenwood city council approved the raises after two votes of 6-3, with council members Ezra Hill, Bruce Armstrong and Dave Lekse voting against it because they said it was too high and out of line with what other government employees and taxpayers as a whole would be receiving.
But Myers said the pay increase is needed because he wants to keep his employees from leaving for higher paying jobs with other suburban cities, such as Fishers, or the state.
“Our people do an efficient job, they do a great job, and if you look at the numbers, we’ve proven we can do a lot with less,” he said.
Council members aren’t denying that.
“I acknowledge the outstanding job all of our city employees do, but I also recognize the fact that a lot of our taxpayers are not at this meeting, and the tough question as always is where do we draw the line?” Lekse said. “These are 5 percent across the board increases for employees of the city, and I don’t know anybody, even at the private level, who’s getting 5 percent raises.”
Lekse recommended the raise be lowered to 3 percent during the Sept. 17 council meeting, but the amendment failed on a vote of 3-5. He then recommended that it be changed to 4 percent, but that wasn’t approved either.
Council members Mike Campbell, Linda Gibson, David Hopper, Bob Dine, Andrew Foster and Ron Bates voted for the 5 percent raise.
Bates said he supported it because 2 or 3 percent pay increases were nothing more than cost-of-living adjustments and did not equate to actual raises.
“I see this as the first time when we’re able to actually give a raise, not just a cost-of-living adjustment. I think this is a good idea and I support it,” Campbell said during the council meeting Sept. 17.
But it is the council’s responsibility to be a voice for the people, Lekse said.
“A lot of people who are not in the room tonight — our taxpayers — are still at work, and they’re the silent majority,” he said.
The council also approved a 2 percent salary hike for themselves, and a 3 percent raise for city clerk Jeannine Myers, who asked that her raise be lowered during the council meeting Monday night. She said she did her own market research and a 5 percent raise didn’t fall in line with what other city clerks are making.
Mayor Myers said he understands why some council members were hesitant to approve the 5 percent hike, but he said it was a necessary and well-deserved move on the city’s part.
“I understand that there’s some contention about it and maybe we could put another police officer or two on the road, and that’s a great idea. But we have (263) other people who could use an increase in their salary,” he said.
Greenwood’s total budget for next year is expected to be about $36.5 million if approved, up from $34 million this year.
