One of the biggest surprises – and announcements – from Mayor Tom Henry’s State of the City address had little to do with city government at all.Fort Wayne city employees might get their full 1.5 percent raises after all.
A month after a divided City Council voted to cut pay raises to 1 percent to save $310,158, the same members Tuesday voted 6-1, with one abstention, to give members of the Fraternal Order of Police a 1.5 percent raise in 2010 as part of their union contract.
The higher raises for the 84 police command staff will cost the city $27,000, but Police Chief Rusty York said he would be able to finance that with his already-approved budget amount.
The union contract does not affect York’s salary.
City Councilman Tom Didier, R-3rd, advocated for giving employees no pay raises this year but voted for the contract because York didn’t need additional money. He said he understood public safety employees are especially valuable to the city, but tougher times lie ahead for all city employees.
“Don’t expect a raise in 2011,” he said.
Before passing the budget with a 1 percent raise in late October, the council approved 1.5 percent raises to members of the local fire union. Councilwoman Liz Brown, R-at large, opposed that contract and was the lone vote against the police contract Tuesday. Councilman Marty Bender, R-at large, abstained from voting. Bender is a deputy police chief.
The vote could signal a chance for all city employees to recoup the lost half-percentage point raise. Council President Tom Smith, R-1st, said he has begun to reconsider the raises, especially after supporting a $550,000 lifeline to the fledging Public Safety Academy.
“I think that’s something we’re going to have to take a look at,” he said regarding giving all employees a 1.5 percent raise in 2010.
He said it would be possible to do that, but he will be interested to see what’s in the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association contract, which represents more than 350 police employees.
Councilwoman Karen Goldner, D-2nd, supported 1.5 percent raises during the budget debate and still does. She said the council has put itself in a difficult place with passing a limited budget but also approving larger raises for unions. She said she believes all union contracts will have 1.5 percent raises in them, and if the council elects to approve those it should also approve larger raises for non-union employees.
Because raises are unlikely in 2011, Goldner said it is important to give the raises when the city can afford it. Although she was unsure about the process, she said she would support a resolution promising larger raises in 2010 and then an additional appropriation ordinance to finance it next year.
The council must take a final vote on the Fraternal Order of Police contract next week, but members rarely change their positions between votes.
