Board of Aldermen 06-11-2019 Page 7
Alderman Klee
Yeah while | want to give the school as much as much as we possibly can, | have concerns that we could
actually hire 2 school paras, a school counselor for $65K and it would not include any of the benefits. And
then who pays for the benefits. And | have the same issue with the contingency plan and this. If we add
to their budget, does that mean next year their budget is at least $265,000.00 more because we can’t ask
these people to leave their jobs? Just a concern that having to bring everything forward; | know this is this
year’s budget but we have to think forward.
Alderwoman Kelly
| believe, and I'll ask Alderman Dowd, but that discussion came up as well in budget and we were told that
if we put this aside, they are going to have to handle the benefit part of it, including the $200,000.00. And |
think the paras are part-time that are in there, and this was exactly what they brought to us, there was a
Memo that was brought to us after we met with them that was sent through from Sue Lovering and that’s
where | got the numbers from. So | trust that they know that they know what they would pay somebody for
those jobs.
Alderman Klee
Again | am looking forward. And | understand that they are going to have to take the costs of the benefits
and part-time doesn’t have the same benefit. | do respect that and | do understand that. But! am still
looking at the $200,000.00 and so on that next year they are going to have these bodies and whether they
pay for them, the City pays for them, or however it is worked, | am just a little worried about the following
year.
Alderwoman Kelly
No | apologize. | hear your concerns but when they were sitting here | asked them specifically what is
really on your mind? And | believe the Board President said, “I'd love to hire 12 paras”. So the need is
there, whether we fund it this year or next year. This is the thing that | brought up in our meeting that they
need to start thinking about hiring now. So it is not something we can “OH maybe we'll have some
contingency later on” — they have to hire them this summer for the fall.
Alderman Clemons
Alderman Kelly did a great job on this because | think you know when you look at what is being proposed
here, it’s another school psychologist in a time when you know kids are facing a lot of things at home. We
are a growing City, we are having more problems; and of course para-professional’s go right in hand with
that. You are talking about on the average $300,000.00 house, $3.00; $3.00 more a year is what we are
asking people to pay for these positions. | don’t think it is too much to ask.
Alderman Dowd
Just so we stick at the moment to the amendment. The $200K and the $65K will be in contingency. It is
part of the budget if it gets approved and therefore will become part of the School Budget when they come
up with a person to hire. They will come to us and ask us to release the money from contingency to do
that hire. But as far as the entire City Budget it’s in there now, well it’s in there if we pass the amendment
and pass the budget. So another thing | want to point out is after we had our meeting and you will recall at
the Budget Meeting | asked the CFO what the percentage increase was and he said 3%. | went to see
him the very next day or the day after and we sat down with a spread sheet and it is actually 2.997% so it
is under 3% for those that were concerned. | know that’s not a heck of a lot under, but when | asked about
the other changes, you’d have to do a lot more to get it any lower anyway. But it is 2.997% and right now
we are looking at the amended budget.
