Williams questions equality of raises
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on June 7, 2016 1:46 PM
Goldsboro City Councilman Antonio Williams asked the council to wait on adopting the 2016-17 budget Monday after questioning if African-American employees received lower pay increases than the rest of the city's workforce.
Williams, who referred to a list of recent employee merit-pay increases, said white employees received higher raises and minorities received less. He wanted to hold off on adopting the budget until the city's merit pay review process is discussed further.
"There were a lot of people who reached out to me who were very disappointed, and some of them got 1 percent," Williams said during the council's work session. "When I looked at the paperwork, and you guys are welcome to see it, it's kind of a lack of diversity pertaining to our minorities. Minorities are coming out at lower rates than our white counterparts.
"What I would like to see is more information shared amongst each other before we make a decision. I'm sure somebody deserved a 3 percent somewhere, and I would hate us not to be fair."
Merit-pay increases are part of the city's 2016-17 budget plan. The 1 percent average in merit pay increases are planned go into effect in January, following employee performance reviews.
Mayor Chuck Allen said the budget could still be adopted and the council could discuss the issue further in the coming months.
"We had meetings before and you never brought any of this up, and now you're bringing it up in the 10th hour," Allen said.
Williams had other budget concerns and said the city should pull back on some of its expenses, including the purchase of a 28-passenger minivan for $45,000. He'd also like to see the city hire two employees to handle property demolitions, instead of purchasing an excavator for $193,000.
"I'm not sure, Councilman Williams, that we would save money doing demolitions," Mayor Pro-Tem Gene Aycock said.
Williams said the city manager's office lacks diversity and city sanitation workers receive lower pay than other employees.
"I have also seen that there is a lack of diversity in the city manager's office, and I'm hoping we can address that issue," Williams said.
City Manager Scott Stevens said African-American employees have received higher raises during merit-pay reviews. The list provided to Williams did not include race as an identifying factor, Stevens said.
"I can absolutely assure you that we have African-American employees who got a 3 percent raise," Stevens said. "What you said in the beginning, at least what I heard, was that we're paying African-American employees 1 percent merit and everybody else 3."
Merit pay increases approved in January provided 10 percent of the city's workforce with 3 percent raises, 30 percent of employees received 2 percent raises and 60 percent of employees received 1 percent merit raises, Sevens said.
"So, the bulk of our employees got a 1 percent merit increase," Stevens said.
While merit increases are planned to average at 1 percent in the coming fiscal year, employees can receive more, based on employee reviews.
Stevens said the list Williams referred to during the meeting included the names of city employees and the amount of merit pay each received. The city manager previously provided the list to Williams, at the councilman's request.
In other budget discussions, Allen asked if the council could set aside $20,000 planned for facade grants and $19,200 planned for business incentives in the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. budget.
Kaye Scott, Goldsboro finance director, said the money could be moved into contingency appropriations and remain there until the council makes a decision.
"If you adopt the budget tonight, this would help us get all our mandates done by the state," Scott said. "There's always a chance to amend any time the council instructs me to."
The council voted in favor of the city's $58 million budget during its regular meeting Monday. The budget holds the line on property taxes, at 65 cents per $100 in property valuation. Water rates will increase by 2.5 percent and sewer rates will increase by 1 percent.
City residents will also pay a new vehicle licensing tax of $10 per year, and a new business registration fee of $20 per year was adopted.
Employee raises include a 1 percent cost-of-living increase and average of 1 percent in merit pay. Five additional full-time employees will be added to the city's workforce, which will increase to 449 employees.
City fees and vehicle taxes go into effect when the budget year starts on July 1.