Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 15, 1993 TAG: 9305150252
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Just ask City Manager Bob Herbert and three other top Roanoke officials.
They won't get pay raises this year.
A year ago, Herbert and three top officials received 10 percent raises while many city employees received 3 percent increases.
That angered workers who claimed that council was giving preferential treatment to top officials.
Hundreds of city employees protested the pay issue amid a controversy over a 2-for-1 pension plan for the top officials and City Council members.
Because of the protest, council repealed the pension bonuses - which gave two years of credit for each year worked.
Council members did not rescind the 10 percent raises.
But they did try to end the controversy by voting this week to provide special raises for 855 municipal employees who received less than 5 percent raises last year.
Beginning July 1, the salaries for these employees will be raised to the amount they would have received if they had received a 5 percent raise last year.
Most of them are more senior workers who received only 3 percent raises, while many other younger employees got raises of 10 percent to 20 percent.
These 855 workers also will be eligible for an additional 2.5 percent merit raise in the next fiscal year, the same as all other workers are eligible to receive. The city has about 1,850 employees.
Councilman William White said Friday that Herbert and the other officials won't be given raises because council wants to be fair on the pay issue.
With no raises this year, these top officials will have received the equivalent of 5 percent raises each year for the two-year period, he said.
Herbert's salary will remain at $99,000.
"We are not dissatisfied with their performance," White said. "It is just a matter of making an adjustment so we can be fair with the rank-and-file employees."
When council decided to give the 10 percent raises last year, Councilman Howard Musser said, he felt then that the top officials wouldn't get a raise this year.
"We gave them 10 percent because we thought that they had done a good job, but it was not my intent to give them another raise this year," Musser said.
Another councilman, who did not want to identified, said council members believe the salaries are adequate.
The salaries for three other council-appointed officers also will remain the same: City Attorney Wilburn Dibling, $88,000; Auditor Bob Bird, $60,000; and City Clerk Mary Parker, $54,000.
The finance director's post has been vacant since the forced resignation of Joel Schanger in December for charging personal calls to the city.
Schlanger was making $88,000 when he quit. Council has budgeted just $63,000 for the post in the new budget, partly because Schlanger's successor may not be chosen until after the next budget year begins July 1. As a result, the city would have to pay the finance director's We gave them 10 percent because we thought that they had done a good job, but it was not my intent to give them another raise this year. Councilman Howard Musser salary for only part of the budget year.
Will Claytor, director of real estate valuation, is the sixth official who is appointed by council - and the only one to get a raise.
His came because of special circumstances.
Claytor, who began working for the city in March 1992, did not not receive a 10 percent last July. With a 5 percent raise that was approved by council, Claytor's salary will be $61,740.
Council will spend $750,000 in the next fiscal year for special raises for city employees and other revisions in the pay plan to end the unrest over the issue.
by CNB