Lewisburg Municipal Manager Jeff Sewert discusses his recommendation for the pay increase for department heads and full-time employees.
Terry Baver | The Register-Herald
LEWISBURG — Council approved an ordinance that will give village department heads and full-time employees a pay increase.
The approval of the ordinance was spurred by the need of a firefighter, paramedic, police officer, a school resource officer, in addition to losing some other key employees.
Municipal manager Jeff Sewert suggested the pay increase for department heads and full-time employees after a ways and means committee meeting.
“We’ve invested a lot in the village with our downtown and the infrastructure and our south wastewater facility in the last 10 years. Because of that, I truly feel it’s time to invest in our employees in an attempt to fill some of these vacancies and keep them here,” Sewert said.
Councilmember Marla Brown, who voted no on approving the ordinance, stated she isn’t against giving the employees pay increases. She said she would prefer to give the raises at a later time.
“Right now we need fire and medic and police. That is what we need to do at this point,” Brown said.
“I’m not saying not give the other employees a pay increase. I’m saying address that issue later in the year,” said.
Brown said her vote was based on the comment made by chief fiscal officer Susan Laux at a previous council meeting that the village would have to tighten its belt after council approved a motion to increase the pay in order to attract a candidate for the open firefighter/paramedic position.
Laux said at the Aug. 15 council meeting the money to pay for the firefighter, medic and police officer comes from the general fund.
Laux added money to pay the other employees comes from other funds and not just the general fund which takes the strain off the general fund.
Law director Steve Hobbs said money is available to cover the pay increases whether the increases take place now or later.
“I don’t think it’s going to make that much difference in the budget whether the pay increase is given now or in November when raises were given last year,” Hobbs said.
Sewert added “you will have a morale problem if you don’t do everybody at the same time.”
Sewert noted he also wants to review part-time employee pay.
“I do want to look at the part-time pay rates with the ways and means committee based on fire and EMS and their different skill sets, the police department as well, and re-evaluate the service department, too,” Sewert said.
Sewert indicated he wants to conduct the review at the first of the year.
Reach Terry Baver at [email protected].
