10-03-2009, 09:53 PM
They're billed as cost-of-living increases, but some of Broward County's largest cities are giving raises that far exceed this year's inflation rate of 1.8 percent.
Beginning this month, many police officers in Davie will see salaries start to climb by nearly 14 percent over the next 12 months, including an 8.7 percent cost-of-living increase. That's on top of 5 percent cost-of-living increases in the past two fiscal years.
Fort Lauderdale general employees and managers will see a bump of 5 percent; Hollywood police will receive 4 percent, plus merit increases; and Sunrise firefighters will get 3 percent, plus merit raises of up to 5 percent.
By contrast, Oakland Park, Lauderdale Lakes, Parkland and Coral Springs are not giving any raises. Employees readily accepted the freeze because "most people are just happy to have a job," said Lauderdale Lakes City Manager Anita Taylor.
Several cities said they used varying criteria, such as the Consumer Price Index, market conditions and salaries offered by neighboring cities, to determine raises. Other cities were locked into large increases by contracts negotiated during the flush years. By state law, they must be honored even if, as Davie Mayor Judy Paul contends, the size of the raises "just doesn't make sense at all."
Davie was forced to raise its property tax rate nearly 13 percent and increase the fire fee from $104 to $130 to help pay for $1.3 million in salary hikes this year for police and firefighters.
"[The raises] were negotiated 2 1/2 years ago as a way to keep an officer's salary in line with the cost of living," said John Nasta, president of the Davie Fraternal Order of Police, which represents 165 law enforcement personnel.
Under their current contract, which began in October 2007 and runs through 2010, many officers received raises of about 10 percent -- a 5 percent cost-of-living raise plus a 5 percent merit increase -- in 2007-8 and again in 2008-9. Many firefighters will receive a 7.5 percent raise over the course of this year -- a 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase, plus a 5 percent merit raise for those who qualify.
Nasta argues the large raises are "important to be able to attract good candidates and remain competitive."
Yet all workers in Coral Springs, including unionized police and firefighters, volunteered for the pay freeze, helping the city offset a $10.5 million deficit.
"This is an unprecedented economic contraction in our lifetime, so desperate times call for desperate measures," said City Manager Mike Levinson.
In Fort Lauderdale, taxpayers this year will spend $5 million to provide 5 percent pay raises to some city workers, which upsets retiree Barbara Smith, 69.
"Give me a break," she said. "I think they should forgo the raises this year because of the economy.''
Alan Silva and fellow members of Fort Lauderdale's budget advisory board are urging the city to lower raises and reduce pension benefits beginning in 2011. In general, government agencies should be "following the economy. To the extent that the private sector is cutting back, we should be also," he said.
In Sunrise, general employees will get 1.5 percent in January, a 1.5 percent lump-sum payment six months later and a merit increase of up to 2.5 percent. Its firefighters will get as much as 8 percent, under a three-year contract that began in 2007. Police are negotiating their contract, which expired Sept. 30.
Contract negotiations with police, fire and general employees have spanned nearly a year in Pembroke Pines, where benefits promised in boom years have left the city struggling with $41.4 million in pension costs next year. The city is pushing for pension cuts, which the unions are resisting.
Unable to strike an agreement, the city in August declared a state of financial urgency. If an agreement is not reached over the next month for so, the city and the union must appear before a special magistrate to sort out their differences.
"We understand that there won't be any wage increase next year," said Jim Silvernale, a spokesman for the union that represents general employees. "But sooner or later, things have to give because the cost of living keeps rising."
All of Hollywood's unionized employees--roughly 1,300 of 1,500 workers--reached three-year contract agreements in July. Police will receive up to 4 percent in base pay, plus merit increases of up to 5 percent; and some supervisors will receive 2 percent plus up to 1.5 percent in merit pay. About 200 top administrators and other non-union employees are not receiving raises. The city's raises will cost about $9.2 million this year.
"The goals going into the negotiations were controlling pension, pay and health care costs," said Raelin Storey, a spokeswoman for the city. "We achieved concessions in all those areas. Would we have liked to save even more money? Absolutely. But this was the best agreement we could work out."
At the Broward Sheriff's Office, employees will earn merit raises of 5 percent on top of the 3 percent cost-of-living increases. At the same time, 729 non-union employees, out of a total of about 5,600 workers, will take a five-day furlough to save money.
Spokesman Jim Leljedal declined to say how officials arrived at the raises, which will cost county taxpayers $4.5 million.
"Usually the union wants X amount, and we will offer L amount and we reach a compromise somewhere," Leljedal said.
Beginning this month, many police officers in Davie will see salaries start to climb by nearly 14 percent over the next 12 months, including an 8.7 percent cost-of-living increase. That's on top of 5 percent cost-of-living increases in the past two fiscal years.
Fort Lauderdale general employees and managers will see a bump of 5 percent; Hollywood police will receive 4 percent, plus merit increases; and Sunrise firefighters will get 3 percent, plus merit raises of up to 5 percent.
By contrast, Oakland Park, Lauderdale Lakes, Parkland and Coral Springs are not giving any raises. Employees readily accepted the freeze because "most people are just happy to have a job," said Lauderdale Lakes City Manager Anita Taylor.
Several cities said they used varying criteria, such as the Consumer Price Index, market conditions and salaries offered by neighboring cities, to determine raises. Other cities were locked into large increases by contracts negotiated during the flush years. By state law, they must be honored even if, as Davie Mayor Judy Paul contends, the size of the raises "just doesn't make sense at all."
Davie was forced to raise its property tax rate nearly 13 percent and increase the fire fee from $104 to $130 to help pay for $1.3 million in salary hikes this year for police and firefighters.
"[The raises] were negotiated 2 1/2 years ago as a way to keep an officer's salary in line with the cost of living," said John Nasta, president of the Davie Fraternal Order of Police, which represents 165 law enforcement personnel.
Under their current contract, which began in October 2007 and runs through 2010, many officers received raises of about 10 percent -- a 5 percent cost-of-living raise plus a 5 percent merit increase -- in 2007-8 and again in 2008-9. Many firefighters will receive a 7.5 percent raise over the course of this year -- a 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase, plus a 5 percent merit raise for those who qualify.
Nasta argues the large raises are "important to be able to attract good candidates and remain competitive."
Yet all workers in Coral Springs, including unionized police and firefighters, volunteered for the pay freeze, helping the city offset a $10.5 million deficit.
"This is an unprecedented economic contraction in our lifetime, so desperate times call for desperate measures," said City Manager Mike Levinson.
In Fort Lauderdale, taxpayers this year will spend $5 million to provide 5 percent pay raises to some city workers, which upsets retiree Barbara Smith, 69.
"Give me a break," she said. "I think they should forgo the raises this year because of the economy.''
Alan Silva and fellow members of Fort Lauderdale's budget advisory board are urging the city to lower raises and reduce pension benefits beginning in 2011. In general, government agencies should be "following the economy. To the extent that the private sector is cutting back, we should be also," he said.
In Sunrise, general employees will get 1.5 percent in January, a 1.5 percent lump-sum payment six months later and a merit increase of up to 2.5 percent. Its firefighters will get as much as 8 percent, under a three-year contract that began in 2007. Police are negotiating their contract, which expired Sept. 30.
Contract negotiations with police, fire and general employees have spanned nearly a year in Pembroke Pines, where benefits promised in boom years have left the city struggling with $41.4 million in pension costs next year. The city is pushing for pension cuts, which the unions are resisting.
Unable to strike an agreement, the city in August declared a state of financial urgency. If an agreement is not reached over the next month for so, the city and the union must appear before a special magistrate to sort out their differences.
"We understand that there won't be any wage increase next year," said Jim Silvernale, a spokesman for the union that represents general employees. "But sooner or later, things have to give because the cost of living keeps rising."
All of Hollywood's unionized employees--roughly 1,300 of 1,500 workers--reached three-year contract agreements in July. Police will receive up to 4 percent in base pay, plus merit increases of up to 5 percent; and some supervisors will receive 2 percent plus up to 1.5 percent in merit pay. About 200 top administrators and other non-union employees are not receiving raises. The city's raises will cost about $9.2 million this year.
"The goals going into the negotiations were controlling pension, pay and health care costs," said Raelin Storey, a spokeswoman for the city. "We achieved concessions in all those areas. Would we have liked to save even more money? Absolutely. But this was the best agreement we could work out."
At the Broward Sheriff's Office, employees will earn merit raises of 5 percent on top of the 3 percent cost-of-living increases. At the same time, 729 non-union employees, out of a total of about 5,600 workers, will take a five-day furlough to save money.
Spokesman Jim Leljedal declined to say how officials arrived at the raises, which will cost county taxpayers $4.5 million.
"Usually the union wants X amount, and we will offer L amount and we reach a compromise somewhere," Leljedal said.