City Commission approves pay raise for employees

By Brian Sanders

More than 20 Holton city em­ployees watched on Tuesday night as the Holton City Commission voted to give them and their fellow city workers their first pay raise in three years.

During a special meeting in Holton City Hall, the commission voted to approve a 3-percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) wage raise.

Com­missioners also voted to approve the Blue Cross/Blue Shield health and life insur­ance renewal contract for 2012 that would save the city 9 percent, or more than $43,000, in premiums over what was paid in 2011.

The pay raises and insurance package had been proposed at the commission’s last meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 17, but were tabled at that time on the recommendation of Commissioner Tim Morris, who said he wanted more time to review the insurance policy. At that time, City Manager Bret Bauer said the two agenda items were “tied into” each other.

The city’s salary and wage schedule had remained the same since 2009, at which time the commission approved merit-based and COLA increases of 2 percent. Bauer had stated previously that during the commission’s 2012 budget discussions in August of last year, the commission had de­cided to include a 3-percent in­crease after it was noted that there would be enough room in the budget for it.

No numbers were available in terms of how much that 3 percent amounted to in dollars and cents, although the city’s pro­jected budget for 2012 included $2,985,767 for employee salaries, $6,497 more than the $2,979,300 budgeted in 2011.

The Blue Cross/Blue Shield in­surance policy also was approved on Tuesday, but without the $17,861.76 inclusion of a dental policy for city employees as pro­posed at the Jan. 17 meeting. With­out it, Bauer noted that the city would be saving $43,140.96 over insurance premiums paid in 2011 — the 2011 total premiums paid were $384,330.72, and the proposed 2012 total was $341,189.76.

It was reported on Jan. 17 that the city had originally budgeted for a 15-percent increase in BC/BS in­surance premiums for 2012, or $441,980.33. But with the news of the 9-percent decrease, commis­sioners noted the city would be looking at more than $100,000 less in expenditures for insurance.

Despite the savings, Morris said he still felt he needed time to re­view the 2012 premium proposal before approving it.

“I had just seen that thing three days before,” Morris said after Tuesday’s meeting. “The dental’s what threw me for a loop, but it wasn’t included tonight. That den­tal insurance was going to cost us $17,000, and I just don’t think we could afford it at this time.”

Dental insurance is presently optional for employees if they wish to pay for their own coverage, Bauer said. The city pays at least 80 percent of the health and life insurance premiums for 44 full-time employees, he added.

Holton City Clerk Teresa Riley reminded commissioners at last week’s meeting that the insurance package had to be approved by the beginning of February, and Tues­day’s meeting was called primarily as a result of that mandate.

In other business, Bauer told commissioners about the League of Kansas Municipalities’ upcoming “City Hall Days” event on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at the capital building in Topeka. All five com­missioners expressed an interest in going; Bauer reminded them not to carpool in groups of more than two in order to stay in compliance with Kansas open meeting laws.

All five commissioners — in­cluding Morris, Mayor Rich Mul­roy, Hal Cochren, Robert Dieck­mann and Janet Zwonitzer — were present for Tuesday’s meeting, which lasted little more than five minutes. The commission normally meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Monday of each month at Holton City Hall; the next regular meeting is set for Monday, Feb. 6.