Board of Aldermen 1-02-2020 Page 3
The proposal was to give them about 1/3 third of their pay in payout of unused sick time as a maximum;
I’ve raised that for a long time as a problem. So you balked at that, because this came up right in
November or late October, you balked at it. | said, you should, some of you agreed, at least at that
moment, so the contract was not passed, was not rejected but it wasn’t passed. It was sent back to the
Commission. Then they removed most of that, there is still a little bit of an increase which we could get into
that; but they removed most of that. But then increased the wages from a little over 9% to a little over 11%;
| mean is that a reasonable approach? Shouldn't they have at least have come back to me or you and
said, “Well which one, we can do one or the other’. | mean the first contact was clearly better than this one
for the City. So we are now faced with a worse contract because we balked at increasing the City’s
unfunded liability.
So look, | am trying to work with you, | am trying to compromise, |’m trying to be reasonable, | am trying to
tell you what | think is coming. If you don’t believe me, if you just think it is all hogwash, tax rate is not
going up, healthcare is not a problem, this doesn’t create any type of precedent; are you sure you want to
reach that conclusion without hearing the people who are actually involved in these issues? So based on
that | am asking you to work with us, you can still pass it next year. If you listen to people who are
knowledgeable about all this and you think they are all wrong, or if you disagree that, you know, it is
important to give this raise regardless of the consequences, holding this until next year is not the end of the
world. So that’s all | am asking, | know | am outnumbered 20 to 1. Some people said | shouldn’t bother
with any of this, why fight with the Aldermen and the Police Department? Not a bad point. But! am trying
to work with you, | am trying to do best, but overall | am looking out into the future about what might happen
with the taxes and what the City can afford and what is likely, you know, what the voters and people who
pay for all of this are likely to think, reach a reasonable balance between raising taxes and paying people
correctly and delivering services. So that’s my pitch, | did go on longer than | expected, but | am just trying
to consult you as a partner in City Government.
President Wilshire
Thank you Mayor. Alderman Clemons?
MOTION BY ALDERMAN CLEMONS TO AMEND THE AGENDA BY OPENING UP A PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD
ON THE QUESTION
President Wilshire
So the motion is to add a 15 minute public comment or typical public comment period. That’s the motion.
Discussion on that motion; to allow a 15 minute comment period?
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:
Yea: Ald. O’Brien, Ald. Gidge, Ald. Harriott-Gathright, Ald. Dowd
Ald. Klee, Ald. Laws, Ald. Lopez, Ald. Caron, Ald. Kelly,
Ald. Jette, Ald. Melizzi-Golja, Ald. Tencza, Ald. Schmidt, Ald. Clemons
Ald. Wilshire 15
Nay: 0
PUBLIC COMMENT
President Wilshire
| would welcome the public to give public comment, we have a 15 minute period. Give your name and
address for the record, please?
