Special Board of Aldermen Public Hearing Page 13
Mayor Donchess
That’s not true only in government. When someone in the private sector gets a promotion and their
job is restructured, they sometimes get raises. That happens so it’s not only in government.
Paula Johnson
Well Mayor it’s pretty sad when government employees are making more money than the private
sector right now because there were no jobs for like the last 8 years and now we’re just starting to
see a little bit of growth and companies wanting to create more jobs now.
Mayor Donchess
Let me ask you this question. Would you have rather we leave the pay as it was and leave the
messenger in the budget and then we’d be spending more or would you prefer that we cut the
messenger position, save $30,000 or $40,000, and restructure this position and pay it $20,000?
Paula Johnson
You know Mayor if | was an administrator if | don’t need that position, it goes and if this person can do
the job at this salary, | wouldn’t give a $19,000 increase. Maybe a $2,000 or $3,000 increase but not
a $19,000 increase when the budget is so tight. Remember | read at the beginning. How tight is this
budget? Well if the budget is so tight, you would streamline government or streamline where you
need to be. Positions that are no longer needed would be gone and it does not mean that somebody
because they’re getting a different title and you restructured the whole job description qualifies for
almost a $20,000 increase. So how tight is the budget?
So now I’m going to follow this up with another question.
Mayor Donchess
Now wait. You asked me how tight is the budget. I’m saying it’s very tight because in the city hall
departments if you include all of them — Community Development, Public Health, Information,
Financial, general government — all those combined are only up less than 1 percent. | think that’s a
pretty tight budget. This is one of the changes that was made within that area but I’d say that’s pretty
tight.
Paula Johnson
Well you could give less of an increase on a job description change. | guess that brings up my next
question. When you have a new position in any department in the city, do you always have a new job
description to go with that position or do you just put that position in and then make a job description
based on their qualifications? So with the job description based on the qualifications for what you
need for the job or is it based on the person’s qualification that you want to put into that job?
Mayor Donchess
| didn’t totally understand the question.
Paula Johnson
Okay. When you hire somebody, you hire them for the job description what you need them for in that
job. Now if you have openings and you don’t have a job description, do you put somebody in there
let’s say isn’t qualified for a position and then you make the job description after. So by right every
