Peachtree City workers get 3.5% pay raise for Christmas

0
855
Above, the Peachtree City Council honored Lt. Mark Brown of the city’s police force for 25 years of service. Below, the city also thanked former Municipal Court Judge Steven Ott for his service. Ott will now be a juvenile judge in the Griffin Circuit. Photos/John Thompson.
Above, the Peachtree City Council honored Lt. Mark Brown of the city’s police force for 25 years of service. Below, the city also thanked former Municipal Court Judge Steven Ott for his service. Ott will now be a juvenile judge in the Griffin Circuit. Photos/John Thompson.

The Peachtree City Council on Dec. 6 unanimously approved an additional pay raise for its employees, along with several other budget amendments.

The city had already budgeted $278,558 in this year’s budget for a 2.5 percent cost of living adjustment, but City Manager Jon Rorie advocated the city approve $111,000 to bump the raise to 3.5 percent.

The city did not give a cost of living raise from 2015 through 2017, and Rorie said the increase would help them remain competitive with nearby governments. In a lengthy presentation filled with charts and graphs, he explained the raise would put the city’s police department on a level footing with Fayetteville. Fayetteville pays starting officers $40,425, while the increased rate would put Peachtree City at $40,004.

Rorie believes installing proactive to get the best talent.

“A stitch in time saves nine,” he said.

The city also agreed to:

• Spend $35,000 for an East Gateway Access Management Plan.

• Allocate $20,000 for redevelopment feasibility planning.

• Purchase a cardboard compactor and external office space for public works for $61,000.

• Buy an ADA compliant portable restroom trailer for the athletic fields for $51,000.

The money to fund all the projects come from cash reserves, which saw an increase in $354,000 for the budget year.

In other news, the City Council:

• Cancelled the Jan. 3 City Council meeting.

• Approved $82,710 in bond funds to pay for replacement seats at the amphitheater. The current seats date back to 1992.