Fourteen out-of-scope municipal employees could receive a pay raise next year based upon recommendations from a consultant hired to review those salaries, the classification system for such employees, and develop a job evaluation framework.
The personnel committee met on Aug. 31 to discuss the results of the recommendations. The committee then forwarded those recommendations to council’s Sept. 8 regular meeting so council could vote on them.
Coun. Brian Swanson, a member of the personnel committee, expressed his displeasure with the recommendations. He pointed out there are 45 out-of-scope personnel working for the city, with 14 recommended for a significant pay increase that totals $91,000, with each employee likely to receive a raise of roughly $6,500.
“I believe this is unnecessary. All out-of-scope employees freely entered into employment with the City of Moose Jaw … with a salary structure that was in place,” he said. “We have very little employee turnover at the out-of-scope level (that is) voluntary. There are some payouts, but for the most part, our out-of-scope employees are long-term employees.”
The consultant reviewed the pay structure and came up with a system that showed the 14 employees were not being paid enough, which Swanson thought was “gobbledygook.” He noted that these employees already received a salary increase earlier this year.
While 2020 might be remembered as the year of the pandemic, in Moose Jaw, it will also be remembered as the year municipal officials gave themselves 20-per-cent pay raises and gave out-of-scope staff pay increases, he continued.
Along with having spent $300,000 on a concept plan for Westheath that is no longer valid due to the new joint-use school, council also spent $200,000 to repay ticket holders affected by the Ticket Rocket fiasco, Swanson remarked. All that totals $591,000, although few residents will benefit from that money.
“We are stewards of public funds. We are not doing a good job of that … ,” he said. “We should be watching our pennies very closely. We are in tremendous stressed times economically. To award salary increases of significant amounts to elected officials and out-of-scope officials sets a very bad example for the organization.”
Council then voted 5-2 against a motion to receive and file the out-of-scope job evaluation framework report. Swanson and Coun. Dawn Luhning were in favour.
Council later voted 5-2 in favour of adopting the recommendations from the report. Swanson and Luhning were opposed.
Council also voted 5-2 to send the job evaluation framework report to the 2021 operating budget discussions so a source of funding could be found for the proposed pay increases.
After the third vote, Swanson then claimed that no one would have known about these recommendations if he had not stood up to bring attention to them. In reply, Mayor Fraser Tolmie indicated this is a public report and the pay increase would be part of budget discussions.
Coun. Chris Warren also disagreed with Swanson’s statement.
“I don’t believe that to be true,” he said, pointing out this motion will forward the pay increase suggestion to the 2021 budget deliberations, where city administration would bring forward a budget and council would debate whether the increase is a priority. Similar to most projects lately, this could be put on hold.
“This is not something we’re trying to sneak through. It’s unfortunate that this type of rhetoric is increasing the closer we get to the election,” Warren added.
Council then voted 5-2 to receive and adopt the report of the personnel committee. Swanson and Luhning were opposed.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Sept. 21.
