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Elkins to ‘keep working’ on pay raises

The Inter-Mountain photo by Tim MacVean City of Elkins officials and Finance Committee members discuss pay increases for city employees Monday morning. From left are Charlie Friddle, committee member and Second Ward councilman; Van Broughton, Elkins mayor; Bob Woolwine, Finance Committee chairperson and First Ward councilman; and Marilynn Cuonzo, Finance Committee member and Fourth Ward councilwoman. Also pictured in the background are Fifth Ward councilman David Parker and Elkins Police Department 1st Sgt. R.W. Belt.

ELKINS — On Monday morning, city of Elkins employees were once again present at a city council committee meeting regarding wages, this time receiving what some felt was disappointing news.

Officials with the city of Elkins met with four supervisory employees during a June 5 special call Personnel Committee meeting before the wage issue was moved on to the Finance Committee Monday.

During the June 5 meeting, Elkins City Clerk Jessica Sutton introduced a “step and grade” pay program she had worked on with Operations Manager Bob Pingley and Treasurer Tracy Judy; however, Pingley said at Monday’s meeting that officials would need more time on developing the program and it would not be ready to be rolled out on July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

“I told you all earlier what we were trying to do is get a payment composition study step and grade system in place and we are in the process of doing that; however, it turned out to be a lot bigger than we thought and there is a lot more to it,” Pingley said. “What we are going to do is keep working to get all the pieces in place.”

Pingley added employees are still going to get a raise on July 1 and provided a handout of proposed pay increases. The amounts are up to .83 cents for the sanitation department; up to .66 cents for the sewer department; up to .99 cents for the water department; up to .65 cents for the custodial department; up to .40 cents for the operations department; up to .54 cents for the streets department; and up to .48 cents for the central garage department.

“We just ran out of time. We have to get something to (Elkins City Council) this week. …” Pingley added. “We are going to work these ranges into the budget and this is going to happen July 1.”

Eric Hiner, assistant supervisor for the water department, asked why the pay increases weren’t the same for each department, and noted water plant employees have received $1.75 in raises.

“My question is where did you all decide on $1.75 for the water plant (employees) and only .40 cents for sanitation, between .38 cents and .83 cents for the sewer. How did they get such a big number for the water plant and not such a big number for the other departments?” he asked.

Pingley responded to Hiner, saying pay scales for water plant employees are the same throughout the state.

Donnie Hedrick, of the water distribution department, said he believes the pay increase plan will cause employees to quit their jobs.

“I’d say you are going to lose a bunch of guys, probably the whole department,” Hedrick said. “I would say about every one of them is going to walk out on the job.”

At a May 14 personnel committee meeting, concerns were shared regarding raises received by water plant employees compared to projected raises for other department employees. The city of Elkins’ new $37-million water plant went online this year, located above High Street.

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