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Florissant Passes Substitute Wage Bill For All Employees
By Carol Arnett
The Florissant City Council passed a substitute bill regarding the city pay plan at Monday night’s meeting. The original bill caused some controversy with local TV media and social media over compensation for some department heads
The original bill was based on suggestions by a committee set up to study the city’s salary plan. The committee recommended significant raises for four of the committee members, including the Chief of Police and Finance Director. The original bill also raised the salary classification for eight positions, some more than one classification up.
The substitute bill eliminated the raises for the salary committee members two of which would have received a much higher percent wage increase than the employees would. The changes to salary classes for the eight positions were kept, but all went up only one salary class. All employees will get a small raise under the bill.
Councilman Tim Lee offered several amendments to the substitute bill, all of which were rejected by the council by 7-2 votes. Most of his amendments dealt with the timing of the bill. He suggested the council make the bill effective as off Dec. 1 to coincide with the city’s fiscal year.
Lee also said that the plan was originally proposed to help retain police officers, but the bill does not do anything extra for them. They will receive the same raise as the rest of the city employees.
Councilman Ben Hernandez said he, too, had some concerns about the bill. He called it “uncharacteristic” to make such a large appropriation in the middle of the budget year. He also felt the bill should have concentrated more on the police force.
Several residents spoke about the bill. Mark Behlmann asked where the money would come from. He also commented on the fact that the meeting was not broadcast live, as most council meetings are. The city announced on the website that there were technical difficulties. “It’s amazing that a week ago Wednesday the city announced that they would have technical difficulties tonight,” Behlmann said.
Two former Florissant police officers spoke and said they left because of low salaries. However, Lee pointed out to one who was hired by the city after working in another municipality that the police department has always had the option of bringing new officers in at a higher step in the salary plan. Lee said after the meeting that the police department had this option so that a new inexperienced officer would not be paid the same as a new officer with several years’ experience in a different police force.
Mayor Tom Schneider said Tuesday this new bill will be more like the previous “Step” plan which allows for some employees to get raises in time increments. But the mayor stressed he was still concerned about key department leaders getting offers from other municipalities adding that Florissant “must remain competitive” to retain these key personnel.
The council voted unanimously to pass the substitute bill.
In other action, the city held a public hearing regarding a plan by Club Fitness to move into the old Michael’s store on Lindbergh. The new club will be open 24 hours. It will move from its current location on Lindbergh near St. Ferdinand.
