Some residents lash out at study, others say PTC employees deserve the raises
Peachtree City Councilwoman Kim Learnard got the council discussion on a pay raise study she asked for several weeks ago. Though more an occasion of perspective than discussion, the City Council, city manager and a number of residents on Nov. 20 had their say on the city’s pay and classification study adopted in October.
For her part, Learnard’s comments were brief, saying that she had asked City Manager Jim Pennington to respond to several questions she posed.
“He did a prompt and professional job,” Learnard said of Pennington’s response to her request.
Learnard referenced the need to use $640,000 of reserve funds to implement the pay and classification adoption.
“That’s fine. We’ll get through it,” she said, noting the increase in the millage rate that will be needed next year to fund the adoption.
Speaking at length was Councilman Eric Imker who brought up a number of issues with the study that, without questions being answered, kept him from voting for its adoption. Imker and Learnard cast the two opposing votes on the October adoption of the pay and classification study.
Imker questioned the definition of salary compression, the lack of data for the 17 cities to which Peachtree City was compared, his lack of understanding on how the raises were implemented and whether the city would lose employees had the raises not been implemented.
Imker also read from emails he exchanged with city staff in which he provided his rationale for voting against the pay and classification study.
“I’m not challenging the salaries employees got. I’m concerned about the future,” Imker said. “I think we have work to do on benefits and we need a benefits workshop.”
Also speaking briefly was Councilman Mike King who reiterated the rationale for his vote to adopt the study. His approval of pay raises for city staff members boiled down to the answer to his question: “Are they worth it?”
Pennington weighed in on the study and its adoption, taking issue with the assertion by some that the study and its adoption was one that came with little notice.
The process that led to the study began in December 2012, Pennington said. Reading from council minutes, Pennington said it was the No. 1 issue on the Jan. 9, 2014 council retreat.
Commenting on the study conducted by Condrey and Associates, Pennington said “firms brought in are standard practice across the country. And no employees were involved.”
The discussion was opened for public comments, with less than a dozen of the 20 residents still in attendance having their say on the issue.
The comments were polarized, with some opposed to the study or aspects of it and with others supporting its findings and the council’s adoption of the pay and classification study in October.
Martine Yancy in her comments, in reference to the some of the cities in north metro Atlanta to which Peachtree City was compared, said a large majority of city employees live within a 15-minute radius of the city. Yancy said she was concerned about using data from cities in north metro Atlanta.
Referencing the adopted pay and classification study and some of the accompanying salaries that resulted, Yancy asked council members to “get rid of the insane mess that was created.”
Weighing in from the opposite perspective, resident and Planning Commission member Lynda Wojcik said city staff had not been paid well in the past five years.
“They did a good job and didn’t complain,” she said, taking issue with some citizens and some on the council whom she said had stated that employees did not deserve a raise. “I want better employees, not also-ran employees.”
Resident Glenn Adams said he was upset that taxpayer dollars were used to determine the salary need.
“Pay doesn’t change morale,” Adams said. “Morale is a leadership issue.”
Addressing not only current concerns, but those tied to the future, resident Scott Austensen recommended the council conduct a comparative analysis of the city’s benefits package.
“The pension is robust and is favorable compared to many local governments,” Austensen said.
