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The Florissant City Council played both Scrooge and Santa Monday, as they voted to remove a one-time pay adjustment of $400 per employee from the budget in order to have money for overtime pay. The police and public works department wanted the overtime, while the one-time pay adjustment before Christmas would have gone to every employee.

Public works often pays overtime in bad weather in order to keep the streets plowed. The police department uses overtime when officers are called into court, and for special events that require more police presence.

Councilman Mark Schmidt said that the original budget had “realistic numbers for overtime, but council members decided to slash them in half.” He said this would lead to department heads coming back to the council for more money later in the year.

Councilwoman Karen McKay noted that the city has been hard hit financially in the last few years. “The council must review the budget monthly,” she said. She asked the administration to look at new ways of managing overtime, such as flex time. “We’ve done it the same way since 1963,” she said. “Maybe it’s time to change.”

Councilman Ben Hernandez said that if there were unforeseen incidents, such as bad weather, the department heads could come to the council and request more money. “I would never let the safety of the residents be in jeopardy,” he said. “The council will approve if necessary.”

“Who are we fooling?” Councilman Pat Stinnett asked. “We’re going back constantly every year to add overtime.” He said that this budget reflects an accurate amount based on previous years.

Council President Keith English said that he had seen overtime being spent when it shouldn’t have been. “Cutting the overtime budget is the smart thing to do,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with the administration coming back to the council if they need more overtime funds.”

Schmidt then noted that although the overtime was cut, the pay adjustment would cost the city $147,000. He suggested an amendment to restore the overtime and retract the pay adjustment. The amendment failed, with only Stinnett, John Grib and Joe Eagan joining Schmidt in voting yes.

Schmidt then moved to retract the pay adjustment without changing the overtime budgeted. This time, the amendment passed, with Stinnett, Schmidt, Grib, Eagan and Keith Schildroth voting yes.

“We don’t manufacture money,” Eagan said. “As much as I’d like to give employees a bonus, we need to keep our streets plowed.”

Councilman Tim Lee said he regretted not being able to give the employee a bonus, or pay adjustment. He noted that part-time employees would have received the adjustment, and noted that they did not receive the latest pay raise.

Lee noted that the budget process was a give and take between council members and between council members and the administration, and said that everyone had to compromise. “I didn’t agree on some things in the budget, but I supported it anyway,” he said. “It’s too bad we can’t do something for the employees before Christmas.”

English said he was “appalled” at the action. “Overtime goes to police and public works,” he said, “But a bonus would go to the ladies downstairs, the court workers, all employees. To take Christmas bonuses away from hardworking full and part-time employees, I’m appalled.”

After the meeting, Mayor Tom Schneider said that the city would do the best it could to live within the budget. As far as the adjustment, Schneider said, “we may need the money if we have a hard winter. No doubt we’ll need it for the police. There’s just not enough overtime in the budget.”

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