Claxton council approves across-the-board raises for city employees

After discussing the concerns of retirement benefits at Monday’s Claxton City Council meeting, the city of Claxton voted to provide a 2% raise to all city employees.

The decision to offer a pay raise had been discussed during recent budget hearings, though no final decision was made. Several members of the council asked City Administrator Gayle Durrence whether or not the pay step program put in place in the city for years of service was being implemented for pay raises. Durrence said usually only for new employees, but did not elaborate on how long someone was considered “new.”

A motion was made by Councilman James Waters to increase the city employees’ pay by 3% and seconded by Councilman Dean Cameron, however the motion failed 2-5.

A reconsideration was made moments later by Risher Willard who said he would be comfortable with a 2% raise and the motion passed unanimously.

Mayor Branch expressed his desire to use the resources provided by the Georgia Municipal Association to re-evaluate job descriptions and salary mid-points for the upcoming Fiscal Year. City Administrator Gayle Durrence, one of top paid employees of the City, was quick to interject that the City was ‘on track’ with GMA recommendations.

The raise can be ‘undone’ at any time or reconsidered on an individual basis should the GMA salary survey indicate some employees are being overpaid.

Photo by 401(K) 2013