2.75% Raise for Non-Union Employees Passes Committees

Today a combination of the Human Services and Finance Committees voted to raise the salaries of non-union county employees by an average of 2.75%.

That does not mean that each such employee will receive a raise that high, however.

Department heads will be able to raise some more and some less, depending on the perceived merit of the employee’s performance.

Voting against the proposal on the Human Resources Committee was Diane Evertsen.

Voting in opposition from the Finance Committee were John Hammerand, Donna Kurtz and Nick Provenzano.

A document distributed said that the “average union way increase for Fiscal Year 2014 is 2.91%.” Noted is that the percentage does not include step increases for Sheriff’s deputies. Also noted is that “health insurance contributions increased more significantly.”


Comments

2.75% Raise for Non-Union Employees Passes Committees — 10 Comments

  1. Has there every been a year in the county there was no pay raise?

    In the private sector there are times (unfortunately many a year) no raises and no bonus was the situation.

    John Hammerand, Donna Kurtz and Nick Provenzano seem to understand the economics of today at least in this case.

    Is anyone else going to help and manage our time, talents, and resources in the government sector as we have to do in our home?

  2. @Larry Emery:

    Has there ever been a year where there hasn’t been inflation?

    Not authorizing a pay raise results in a pay cut in real economic terms.

  3. @MattMac

    People in the private sector get pay cuts all the time.

    People in the private sector have to deal with inflation all the time.

    In real economic terms these pay raises eat further and further into the county budget.

    Poor Big Government…

  4. @ Andrew Gasser:

    Sure, lots of private sector employees go for a period of time without a raise, the effect being a wage cut in real economic terms.

    But it is bad business for any private sector business to cut pay for every employee across the board without consideration of merit, ability, productivity, etc.

    Are you saying that every non-union employee of the county deserves a haircut?

    Or are you just beating your chest about small government in general without seriously considering how we get there?

  5. @MattMac Just asking the question.

    I agree 100% on your comment “But it is bad business for any private sector business to cut pay for every employee across the board without consideration of merit, ability, productivity, etc.”

    Is this being considered in the management review process by government?

    But reality is that the private sector has to do this every year or they could go out of business during downturns and less revenues to pay bills.

    Others we should plan to bring up with all government agencies as a taxpayers would be:

    What inflation rate is being used?

    How do we measure the job position and the department do determine it is providing the service to the level expectation of the customer (taxpayer)?

    Should the government be doing the service or can the private sector do it at a better rate?

  6. The agenda is online with attachments that outline the policy passed by the county board including Nick, Donna, John and Dianne.

    The raises were based on equity as was passed by the county board as it would be unfair to give raises to all union employees and the hand full of non union should get nothing.

    The non union employees got 0 in 2010.

    The committee considered that we have revenue from other sources than property tax that included sales tax which is up and transfer tax which is also up with a 44% increase in home sales in McHenry county all this is without an increase in the levy which the board voted against.

    The budget process required a number to be able to move forward.

    These are not cost of living raises they are based on merit therefore no promises to get a raise.

    Most of the non union employees do not make a whole lot of money and when you want to continue to get productivity and commitment you need to be fair to everyone.

  7. Thank you Mary for the information provided.

    I would ask to make it fair for all that government look outside of their analysis of only government numbers and their union contracts and see what is going on with the private sector.

    As our full time jobs are disappearing, being replaced with part time positions, we must work together to stabilize and then reverse this trend.

    Was the increase of home sales (on very poor years before) due to people moving out, short sales, and foreclosures?

    I believe our county had a decrease of population with the 2010 census over 2007.

    Has this trend reversed for 2011 or 2012?

    Every dollar we give back or don’t spend for the taxpayer is one we can use to live, to invest, and to donate as we see fit.

    Are there other areas other then payroll that may need to be looked at for review and possible reduction?

  8. Thanks to Cal Skinner for previously posting all the salaries of McHenry County employees.

    We can all see just how much they earn already.

    I wish the rest of us in the working world could get these kinds of raises.

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