Comment Up
On the Agenda tonight--PUBLIC HEARINGS 10-A--Ordinance 2015-06
Section 205.0535(4), Florida Statutes, allows municipalities to increase the rates for local business taxes up to five percent (5%) every other year by ordinance. All it needs is a majority plus one vote of the commission. This commission, desperate for revenue, is not going to have any moss growing under its feet.
All those wanting to do business within our city will be subject to a 5% increase. You have a nightclub? Your new business tax will be $893.40. There are 26-27 pages covering every type of business imaginable. The city expects to reap $50,000 in increases from this tax increase. $50,000 is not that much money in the scheme of things to generate bad will with those wanting to do business here.
So, the city plans on increasing--
parking fees at the beach up at least 12.5% minimum
ad-valorem taxes because they are not going to honor the roll-back rate
4% salary increase for all
1% increase in PBSO contract
Water and sewer increase
More requested employees: Two part-time custodians at the beach and 6 additional PT lifeguards and 2 PT cashiers. There may be more in other departments of which we are unaware.
Next the benefits we pay to our employees in Lake worth are generous. The City provides health, vision, dental, life, and Short and Long term disability. The city says "with a decrease in cost associated with the medical plan, Human Resources is recommending that the City
absorb the cost of employee only coverage for dental and vision for the upcoming fiscal year. This cost is in line with the current philosophy of creating an environment where our employees feel appreciated while putting the City on track to become an employer of choice."
16 comments:
"Benefits we pay to our employees are generous"? Its sad because the city doesn't even try to hide how much it devalues its employees, its pretty blatant. Even now during Union negotiations the city is fighting against the union to limit and decrease benefits. They want a quick turn around so then they can keep wages low and the less people to retire the less money the have to spend out.
- Every year the employee benefits have decreased with increased money owed in paychecks such as health care.
- Employees haven't seen a raise in over 7-8 years. Yet the CM, Department Heads have all received yearly raises and those are the same people stating there's no money in the budget for the employees. If even one of them turned down their raise because NONE of the employees have received any then in the eyes of the employees they would they would look like true leaders leading by example.
- The retirement age used to be 20 years and out, now its 30 years and out and they don't start collecting until the retirement age of 60or so years old.
I think people should work for the city before commenting on the benefits. I love Lake Worth and worked within in the city for so long but their comes a time were the employees will have had enough. I have already heard talks of strikes from various departments. Yes, there are benefits but how many "new" employees versus veterans do we actually have working these days?.. not many. I've seen so many great skilled people leave to work with other municipalities because of the lack of leadership and diminishing benefits. At the end of the day the city doesn't want long term employment anymore, they want cheap quick labor. All the while the fat cats sit up high making way over $100,000 a year while the majority of employees make peanuts. It doesn't matter if your a garbage man, street sweeper or chief lifeguard. Everyone deserves a chance to move up in the work place to match the rising economy prices.
A quick example would be my friend, Tim Ehmke, who was our Chief Lifeguard (the highest level a city lifeguard could achieve here) has been with the city for about 10 years and he was still making the same pay he has made 7-8 years ago. How can he support his family with close to 10 year old pay? He has done so much for our loved beach and all the lives he has saved yet why stay stuck in a place that doesn't value time and knowledge? He left after 10 years of solid commitment with his knowledge and experience and already found a job with the Palm Beach Sheriffs Department that does value him. I wish him and his family the best of luck, he will be missed.
Every year the city battles the union for a raises and benefits and as everything goes up within the economy the stagnate pay goes down. All I am saying is that small acts of leadership can go a long way and if you show the employees you care im sure this city will improve and retain knowledge.
Not being an employee there I can't really speak to your concern that employees are not valued. I would think that they are valued and the largest part of our budget goes to supporting personnel.
We as a city are still struggling. There is no extra money for anything. When I was working and wanted to better myself, I found another job just like your friend Tim Ehmke. Doesn't the Union set the pay standards? We, as residents, never hear about Union negotiations. This is what my generation did...we applied for better paying jobs and moved up the pay scale in that manner. Government paying jobs were not very good back then and retirement benefits were rare in private industry--401'ks did not exist in the earlier years; now it is the reverse. The pay is sometimes better when working for the government today.
I am all for incorporating a yearly cost of living increase in the budget. I believe in merit raises, not everyone getting the same raise across the board. As you know, there are some people who just are better at what they do than are others. This year, with the 4% raise for all, it makes up a little bit for the cost of living that has occurred. This raise will be nearly twice what we are receiving in additional ad-valorem.
It is a fact that the guys at the top are making most of the money or the larger salaries. They are the ones who got degrees, some of whom have advanced degrees, and got the experience. This is true in private enterprise as well. My first job was at minimum wage and I advanced through the years to working for a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ. I, like your friend, at one time put up with a boring and a lousy paying job for 9 years as a bookkeeper until I took the bull by the horns and found another job. It had no benefits either.
Lake Worth cares about its people. I truly believe that and it constantly struggles to stay afloat.
Cry babies not making enough money. Greedy people not happy with their benefits either?
Lynn,
I do agree with you on certain points you've responded too in my previous comment and its not that I necessarily I disagree with you im just looking at it from a side view.
To explain, I understand the consensus is that the city is struggling and if so then how can certain people.. i.e. the people already making $100,000 a year find money to pay for their annual increases but yet they are the same people stating there is no money for employees to get pay increases? Wouldn't you think it would be on a equal playing field across the board because they are all City of Lake Worth Employees as a whole?
I also agree with the raises biased on merit and work performance. People tend to work harder with a incentive rather than just working day in and day out. Especially in todays economy there are more and more jobs opening up in both government and the private sectors. I completely understand that the more education you have in all reality the money you should make, which I am a firm believer in. So we are on the same playing field in those aspects.
The only issue I have is that the leadership and showing good faith in your employees is lacking. In any job a subordinate will work harder and longer when they know management has their backs. Its tough to have that mindset when you see Management granting incentives and raises for themselves yet they are the same people battling the union against every little issue that is for the employees.
and to Anonymous @ 11:26AM:
- You stated, "the employees are cry babies not making enough money"
Lets say you enjoy your job, you are educated, went to school and are certified to work in that position, yet you have a family to feed but you haven't had a raise or cost of living increase in 7-8 years therefore you have to find work else wear. You feel they are cry babies because they shouldn't receive a cost of living increase in 7-8 years? I've know people who've loved their jobs but had to leave the city from a position they've truly enjoyed because they cant afford to do that anymore due to the establishment halting economy pay increases? In which this city has lost many knowledgeable employees that way. I'm guessing you do not work for the city or know any of its employees personally. Next time you post a negative comment please do some research instead of spouting against people who do work hard, calling them greedy on issues you know nothing about.
When I was working, management worked harder, wiser and longer than any employee who basically was 9 to 5 and out the door. I used to go home and work hours more. If you have a love for your job and pride in what you do, money certainly is a reward for all that work but it's not everything. Not sure a city government can accommodate all of that. There are pay scales and Union controls. A good worker will always shine and will win out in the end. If your manager doesn't notice that, then you're in trouble. Perhaps the alternative is to apply within the city for a better paying position. Is that possible? Management needs to take care of its workers and in this new budget they are doing that.
To be perfectly honest, I had one company in my entire life of working that treated me well monetarily, my last job. They weren't perfect, not by a long shot but much better than all of the rest.
Things will get better. Don't despair. Commissioners are well aware of your plight, especially Commissioner McVoy.
Lynn,
I'm definitely not stating money is everything. But most people work to make money for various reasons such as to support a family. I can say from experience the city makes it easier to move about within the various departments / positions than it would be for a outside individual looking for new employment within the city, which is great! But its sad over the years to see so many hard working individuals be forced to find employment elsewhere because of the 7-8 year pay halt for only employees, not CM or Department Heads. Even a cost of living increase would have helped so many immensely. At the end of the day most people cannot afford to stay at a job they love if they aren't making enough to combat the rising economy therefore the City loses valued people.
The CM, Dept. Heads.. ETC would have looked liked leaders if they would have led by example instead of the path they chose which resulted in decreased moral which ultimately effects the quality of work and pride of work. I don't want to come off like money is everything but why go above and beyond your job description if the people who can implement change are only out or appear to out for themselves.
I hope moving forward the city makes a effort to lead by example and when they chose to lead that way I see the city in a whole improving.
I'm with you, anonymous at 3:18.
Lynn,
Also both the Electric and Water Dept have promoted people to Asst Director (More $) and then backfilled their positions when previously those positions did not exist. $10K Increase to the CM, $15K to the HR Director after only 6 months. Make sense of how we do business in the city. And then we constantly lose lineman to FPL $6 difference an hour, but lower our rates to meet FPL rates reducing the amount of income to the city fund. Fire knowledgeable managers and directors and replace them individuals who do not have the experience or know how. I just don't get it, most industries fail managing under this process.
You have to wonder if management wants us to fail. I am not sure that we can compete with the number one employer in the State of Florida, FPL, but we need to keep good people. Reducing the electric rates to go into the hole is insanity.
I agree with ANON @ 4:00pm.
Just like the Lineman gaining knowledge in LW then leaving to go to FPL for more money is a smart decision and you cant blame them. Another example is our lifeguards who make around $11.00/hr who gain their experience here then move on to other cities such as WPB who pay a lot more a hour with better future benefits. We need to make LW the city people want to work for, not only to gain knowledge but then retain the knowledge learned and stay with LW. But to do that the city has to have a competitive salary comparable to the surrounding cities. Giving the CM $10,000 raise and the HR Director $15,000 while their accepting it with a smile is not the way to boost moral and make employees want to build a life for themselves in LW, especially when they tell all the employees the City is to broke to give them a raise. It all goes back them blatantly showing the employees they don't matter which unfortunately for the past 7-8 years employee moral hasn't been a priority.
Granted a 4% raise is a great start but does that equal out to 7-8 years of no raises or cost of living adjustments as the economy has improved for all that time? As well as all the employees know that the City is currently battling the Union to not give that 4%.
Ms. Anderson,
Its nice to read you are for the employees of Lake Worth. =)
Thank you.
You are welcome. There would be no Lake Worth without you. There is a lot to be said about experience, longevity, loyalty and it needs to be rewarded. It will get better.
Interesting topic of discussion Ya'll. Its true employees will work harder from positive motivation and incentives rather than the current dont care leadership style thats been displayed. I have friends who work in the city, some left and some stayed. From talks over the years they have all said, the management is corrupt and only care about their wallets with a open disregard for the regular employees. I along with them hope the city opens its eyes and realizes its not the City Manager, Commission or Departments Heads that make the city go its the middle to lower employees who clean the parks, pick up the trash, enforce city codes, keep our lights on and everything else. Treat them right and i believe our city can be great. But continue on this path and it can only get worse. Sooner or later they will strike just like the lifeguards did a decade ago. If anyone in the upper chain reads this blog please start to care about the emoloyees and not your wallets. Thank you.
I agree with Anonymous 9:33 but it is not all the department heads that don't care about the employees, those few are gone as HR Director fires or forces them out. But when you give the employees 4% after 0% for 7 years and then prior to even considering a raise as WE DON"T HAVE THE MONEY as the unions are told to give the HR & CM that equates to more than 10% of their income think how that makes an employee feel. I doubt a 4% raise is going to stop the animosity or leaving the city as moral is bottomed out. I know the HR Director tells us Moral is at it highest but she is nothing but a BS artist.
Moral is so far away from even remotely being decent it boarders the unfathomable. A 4% raise is far from overdue. I remember back in 2006-2008 everyone received an annual 5% raise for cost of living expenses. A 4% doesn't catch the employees up to 7 years of zero raises or cost of living expenses. Not by a longshot.
and the HR director is so far out of touch from the employees its ridiculous. I hope she enjoys her $15,000 raise after only 6 months of employment with the city.
Anonymous 4:15 pm
I hope the HR Director does not find out who is writing here as I understand she fires people for no reasons or trumped up issues. Why employees are not suing I will never understand as she has eliminated some very skilled people who worked for out city. My friend actually was fired and found a better and more paying job with more responsibilities and when he told the employer where he worked the employer told him that it all made sense and glad to have him at the expense of lake worth. I am glad I don't work there
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