Clinton’s operating expenses have topped $37 Million, and the new budget approved Monday by the City Council balances that figure with a 10-mil property tax increase.
No other increases - electrical, water and sewer rates, and garbage collection and business license fees - were announced by the city administration.
The tax millage rate goes from 131.3 mills to 141.4 mils, pending property re-assessment by Laurens County, a once-every-five-years project.
The budget passed 6-1, with Council Member Anita Williams renewing her objection to a 2.8% cost-of-living raise for employees. She said that, on top of 5% last year without taking into account “the gap” that creates between the lowest paid employees and the highest paid employees, means the past two years’ budgets have imposed a hardship on city residents struggling to pay their own bills.
“My objection still stands from the last meeting,” she said. “How we can approve an across-the-board increase when employees make $30,000 vs employees that make $75,000 - $100,000. For the $30,000 employee that a $789 increase; for $75,000, it’s $1,900 and for $100,000, it’s $2,600.
“When you say we are losing employees, it’s because when you look at that, that doesn’t seem fair. That’s a big difference there; as we did last year, 5% that’s $5,000 vs $1,500, that’s a big gap. Raises should be on a scale, to help employees under $50,000 have a better increase than we give those making $100,000; and now the possibility of a merit increase makes the gap even wider.
“I was approached by a city employee’s wife who said city administration said I was the one who didn’t want employees to get an increase. That’s not true. I want an increase, but I want it on a scale.
“Companies and cities freeze their budgets. We have steadily increased our 5.2% each year of the last three years I’ve been on council.”
Other council members said city employees making in the $75,000 to $100,000 range should not get less simply because they have “risen to the top.” Mayor Randy Randall said, “No budget’s perfect and never will be. This one is balanced and tries to address the needs as best we could.”
The new budget is up 6.34% (it’s $34,994,895 in the current fiscal year; $37,214,362 proposed for the coming year).
The amount of property tax levied is designed to collect $1,518,800 - the City of Clinton makes most of its money from the sale of electricity.
There were no public comments during the legally-required public hearing on the budget proposal, which requires two readings to become official; but Council heard from 7 citizens during the “public comments on agenda items” time on topics ranging from neighborhoods flooding during the Memorial Day weekend, to the need for a fence-border on one side of a new RV Park on Hwy 72, to zoning issues.
On the subject of employees’ pay, Council Member Megan Walsh said, “There are two different discussion points. Pay in this country is a difficult issue. Across the board, if you don’t apply it, it becomes a salary cut for those in the higher level positions.”
“There are different ways of looking at it,” Council Member Danny Smith said.
“Not if you go to the grocery store, there is a difference between $30,000 vs $100,000,” Williams said. “Increases need to be on a scale. Last year it was 5% across the board. Now it’s 2.8%. That employee making $30,000 a year is not coming up.”
“Everybody is treated the same in our budget,” Finance Director Carl Stevens said.
City Manager Joey Meadors said, in response to a question from Williams about potential “surprise” expenses in the coming budget, “We have aging equipment that could break down at any time.” This year, the City had to find money to address an unexpected failure in the Police Department’s cameras system.
Meadors said, in relation to stormwater, that he has reached out to engineering experts and the State to find grants related to flooding relief. “With areas where we have problems, we are going into storm drains and put our camera in them to see if they are stopped up,” he said.
Council Member Gary Kuykendall said the Memorial Day weekend rains were an anomaly. “It flooded 3 inches in just a couple of hours. We’ve spent a lot of attention, dollars, and grant money (to address stormwater). It has been a top priority with council the last 3 years. It is not something we’ve left laying by the wayside.”
