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By Mike AllenAugust 30, 2023 (Santee) -- Santee’s City Council approved a series of two-year pay hikes for its unionized firefighters, and then gave all its employees, including themselves, raises for the next two years. All totaled, the salary raises approved at the August 23 Council meeting will mean the city’s amended 2023-24 budget increased by about $967,000, which will be funded from the budget’s reserves.
The city’s firefighters are getting 4 percent more pay retroactive to July 1, then a 6 percent “market adjustment” salary increase starting Jan. 1, 2024, and then another 4 percent cost of living increase starting July 4, 2024.
Councilman Rob McNelis said the 6 percent market adjustment to the pay hikes was agreed to because the city wanted to ensure it wouldn’t be losing firefighters to nearby cities that paid higher salaries.
The city often paid higher pay rates to management staffers when faced with the
prospect of losing experienced managers to other cities, and it wanted to make sure it was retaining experienced firefighters by giving them another bump in pay starting next year, he said.
The remaining Santee employees, from its City Manager to the lowest paid full-time person will be getting a 4 percent cost of living increase starting July 6 of this year, and another 4 percent increase beginning July 1, 2024.
Santee’s five elected officials get their COLA raises starting Aug. 31 of this year, and another 4 percent COLA hike starting July 1, 2024. In addition, the officials got a bump in their car allowance, with the mayor getting $550 a month, and Council members getting $450 a month. Once the pay hikes are effective, the annual salary for council is $22,222, and for Mayor is $37,452.
Santee’s highest paid official, City Manager Marlene Best, receives an annual salary of $252,265. The next highest paid worker is the Fire Chief, who is paid in a range between $176,678 and $230,616. Four other department directors each earn in a range of $147,000 and $209,000 annually, according to a report provided by the city.
Once the pay hikes are factored in, Santee’s operating budget for 2023-24 increases by about $1 million to $57.3 million. Even with the added expense, the city has a total reserve balance of about $13 million, or 23.6 percent of revenue, well above the target of 20 percent which the council set as a target.
According to its 2022-23 published operating budget, Santee had 138 full time
equivalent employees.
In other actions, the Council approved a contract to update, and improve its website and voted unanimously to contract with JET Advertising LLC of Bloomingdale, Ill. for the work at cost of not to exceed $92,500. In its report on the issue, the city said it last updated its website seven years ago, and that the current version is in need of a rebuilding “that includes improved graphics and media integration, along with enhanced software functionality and interactivity.”
The staff report said the estimated time to complete the project is between 506 and 609 hours, and that JET would receive hourly compensation of $150 an hour.
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