by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
The City Council Finance Committee questioned some salary practices Friday during its continued hearings about the proposed 2011-12 City budget.
“We still have questions and we want our answers,” said Finance Committee Chairman Richard Clark.
Managing Director and CEO Jim Dickenson was asked to explain some of the salaries provided by JEA, the City’s utility.
Dickenson discussed how JEA is losing employees to the private sector because of more lucrative salaries and how the JEA uses merit pay to help attract new employees.
Clark didn’t support the use of merit pay if JEA was considering a rate increase at the same time.
“I want a commitment from JEA that when they raise rates, there won’t be a merit pay system in place. I know we have to ‘keep up with the Joneses,’ but we are a public utility and we are a little bit different,” said Clark.
The committee also was interested in researching whether or not it had the authority to trim the amount of money used for salaries by the Police and Fire Pension Fund.
“In 2009, when the rest of the City took a 2 percent pay decrease, did your board choose not to?” said Clark.
“Yes, we froze wages,” said John Keane, executive director of the Police and Fire Pension Fund.
“I propose we take 2 percent from their budget for salaries, so that they are treated like everyone else in the City,” said Clark.
The City’s Office of General Counsel was asked to research if the committee had the authority to carry out such a measure.
The committee will continue budget hearings Thursday.
The final budget must be approved by the full Council by Oct. 1, the first day of the City’s fiscal year.
Typically, the Council votes on the budget during its last Council meeting in September, which falls on the fourth Tuesday that month.
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