This week on our City Council agenda is an item that could go before the voters of the City of Yuma.
It is the question of a pay raise for the Mayor and City Council.
What message does it send when the conversation is about giving ourselves a pay raise?
Really now, what does it say, when we tell those full-time employees who serve the community “salary rates are frozen but now is a good time to adjust elected officials’ pay?
I am floored by the short sight and lack of common sense. I am against the idea of increasing the City Council and Mayor’s pay at this time. So many factors make this a no-brainer, however, it is the government so of course, we are talking about giving elected officials a raise in a rescission.
Let’s look at the list.
1. City of Yuma Employees have not seen a cost of living increase in years.
2. City employees have not seen a pay raise in just as long.
3. Retirement has been encouraged and we have not refilled those positions, so the city employees are doing the workload of the veterans who retired, as well as their own work.
4. The cost of insurance has gone up again. This year by 5%
5. We have also told them to make that equipment last longer (because we stopped funding our equipment replacement programs.)
6. It will fail at the ballot. What?… It will… Look at the past 20 years and how the citizens of Yuma have answered that question every time it comes up, in one form or another.
7. We are in a recession.
The Council should be made up of leaders, who can set an example.
If the men and women who serve our city can’t have an increase, nor should we.