Winder hikes city pay 3%

Posted by
Mike Buffington
in Winder Archives
Wednesday, December 7. 2011
Comments (16)
At his final meeting with the Winder City Council, outgoing Mayor Chip Thompson orchestrated the approval of 3-percent raises for all city employees.

But in a move to address concerns about adding an unbudgeted expense in the middle of the fiscal year, the council took away the Christmas bonuses that city workers were anticipating this month.

The annual cost of the raises will be about $200,000. With half of the current fiscal year over and the $44,000 in bonuses eliminated, the net impact to the current year’s budget should be roughly $56,000.

In keeping with a political strategy that has worked throughout his four-year term, Thompson kept at least half of the council and even key administrators out of the loop until last Friday, when the agendas for Monday’s work session and Tuesday’s voting session were published.

In the aftermath of the vote, the person who stands to lose the most is Mayor-elect David Maynard, who told a roomful of city police officers, firefighters and other employees that he could not support the raises. His was the only no vote in the 5 to 1 council action.

He said he didn’t want employees to take his vote as an indication that he doesn’t support or love them as much as any other city leader, but he said he felt a responsibility to Winder’s citizens as well.

For the full story, see the December 7 issue of the the Barrow Journal.
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#1 Anonymous on 12/07/11 at 10:02 AM [Reply]
Congregations city of Winder employees, now can we get a little help in the county.
#2 observer on 12/07/11 at 10:34 AM [Reply]
What Winder residents should be asking is 'Why are elected officials receiving fully paid health insurance?'

And Winder employees should be asking why they get a better benefit than they do.

Government does not exist to provide employment or to 'help' employees but to provide necessary services.

But, congratulations to the outgoing mayor for creating one last mess.
#3 Jack Legg on 12/07/11 at 12:40 PM [Reply]
I think its sorry as hell to give somone a christmas bonus and then take it away from them.Its better to have never given it itn the first place.
#3.1 Mike Buffington, Publisher on 12/07/11 at 12:45 PM [Reply]
To clarify, Jack, the council never gave a Christmas bonus, the mayor was doing that on his own without council approval as he has done in the past. The bonus was never in the budget to begin with; the mayor was using contingency money without asking the council to approve the action.
#3.1.1 City Employee on 12/08/11 at 03:42 PM [Reply]
Mike, I have been working at the city for many years, and we have gotten a Christmas Bonus every year I've been there. This not something new and the Mayor wasn't trying to slide it by the council. They all knew and every councilman has known about it for the 12 years I've been here. As for the 3% increase, I was just as surprised as anyone, but as far as I know there have been on employees begging for the increase. I am grateful but we didn't ask for this and for us to be singled out, the workers, as if we did something wrong is crazy. Everyone thinks we should just be happy we have a job, well I assure you I am happy to have a job. Most of us go above and beyond and thank the citizens and the city for what we do have.
#3.1.1.1 Mike Buffington, Publisher on 12/08/11 at 04:14 PM [Reply]
I'm sure that the city has been giving Christmas bonuses for many years, but that was usually done by a council vote until the Thompson administration when the mayor began approving them without a council vote. That may seem pro forma, but that kind of expenditure is usually approved by councils and not just one individual. As for the pay raise, you are correct, that did not come from employees asking for it; it came from the outgoing mayor as a final political move that was pushed through without any analysis of how it would affect the city financially. That's the real issue here, not whether or not the raise was deserved, but rather the way it was done without any data or analysis.
#4 this city council on 12/08/11 at 01:59 AM [Reply]
is our modern Salieri, we the taxoayers are the Mozarts!
#5 Laura Miller on 12/08/11 at 04:37 AM [Reply]
It's wasteful spending like this that not only forces tax increases and cuts in vital services... but also really make you wonder: who is City Hall looking out for?
#5.1 Anonymous on 12/08/11 at 07:53 AM [Reply]
Tax increase! What tax?
#5.1.1 Government Fees on 12/08/11 at 08:56 AM [Reply]
Anytime government gives money to someone else, it has to take it from somebody to do so. The city does not have a property tax as of now except the fire tax, however, business licenses and other government regulations that require a mandatory fee is a tax...no matter how you paint it...it is a tax.

Winder has been wanting to re-establish a property tax every since it was eliminated in 1974. The elected officials will tell you that the worst thing that ever happened was a total elimination of the tax because no council wants to be the first to re-establish a property tax. There has been talk of putting a small quarter of a mill tax on in the past, but the politicians don't have the guts to be the first. The idea is a quarter of a mill now and then once that is done, it is no problem to raise the millage in small incriments until they get it up to where they were before the 74' rollback.
#5.1.1.1 diet coke on 12/08/11 at 01:06 PM [Reply]
We sit here and cry about taxs , taxs this and that ! We forget the city sells water and gas , which is half of their income ! And these men work hard in all kinds of weather to insure u get these things!
Many of them are having $ issues , family issues caused by $ issues! Just like everyone esle , and 3% want Stop these issues but will help. And lets remember most of the people that are jobless or having $ issues , somewhere they had someone choise , to lay them off or even give a raise or not. The city Choose to help, Yes Not all agree with it but alot of things happen in the city that people dont agree with ! If we want to save $ lets Not worry about the $ we spend on guy doing the work of two in the field! Bc theres alot setting in offices making three times that!
#5.1.1.2 Anonymous on 12/08/11 at 03:16 PM [Reply]
I see everyone in Winder owns a business and will have to pay a larger fee for the license or a larger fee for permits. Well if you all are effected by the increase then you all have businesses and can afford the fee. What you can't afford in the fee you can write off as a loss at the end of the year.
#5.1.1.2.1 a write on 12/08/11 at 04:08 PM [Reply]
off is not taking the whole amount and getting it back, it only lowers the percent of taxable income and in these times where every dollar is being looked at in making a choice, like many business have already made a choice to leave winder, Winder is killing the will of people and business to make the choice to come and making a choice for some to leave, well I guess pawn shops thrift stores and just empty properties is what Winder Proper is looking for!
#6 they on 12/08/11 at 01:18 PM [Reply]
didnt get laid off! they make more then the median pay of those they provide water for! yet they are never happy at a govt job! they cry they need more and more money not happy for the Govt job that they do not work hard at just enough to look busy
#6.1 Jack legg on 12/13/11 at 10:40 AM [Reply]
Its high time that these folks got a raise. What so many economic "genusis" apparently do not see is that the cit council thinks the local economy is turning around.That would be the only way the city could afford this, so obviously things are looking up. If that proves to be wrong then I guess you all know who to vote against next time you get a chance city residents.
#7 brett on 12/19/11 at 11:03 AM [Reply]
Really the workers in Winder ,really do not get paid that well,only the top head Department like the Mayor and council get the go fat paid check,I know public work is so underpaid..
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