HAMILTON — City Council voted to cut wages by about 5 percent for the city’s nonunion employees.
During a special meeting Wednesday, July 1, City Council and administrative officials held an hourlong executive session to discuss the emergency ordinance.
The budget cuts, announced June 19, will affect managers, directors, supervisors, clerks and others who earn more than $35,000 a year.
Councilwoman Kathy Becker voted against the wage cuts and Councilman Archie Johnson was absent.
The city earlier eliminated 34 positions and demoted six employees effective, July 1.
Deputy City Manager Rob Smith said the city manager’s office initiated the cuts as part of efforts to save $4.5 million.
“These are hard times and people are losing jobs. If cutting my wages results in keeping jobs, that’s great,” Smith said.
The wage cuts will remain in place indefinitely, he said, until economic conditions improve.
Union firefighters are the last union group to agree on budget cuts with the city, said Eric Abney, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 20.
The city manager’s office and the union met for about seven hours Wednesday to discuss concessions presented by the union.
“The package we put together, I thought, was a pretty fair package. There were some goods ideas from the city’s side and from our side,” Abney said.
“We’re looking to see what that dollar amount means to us now and in the future,” Mayor Don Ryan said of the IAF’s concessions.
Smith said he expects the city manager’s office to have an agreement to present to City Council at its regular meeting on July 8.
Previously, the Fraternal Order of Police agreed to a one-year contract extension with changes. FOP members gave up eligibility of fitness and education pay incentives for this year and next; no uniform allowance in next year; and no wage increase in August 2010. Union members will need to take two unpaid furlough days in 2009 and three unpaid furlough days in 2010. After Jan. 1, members are subject to a 2 percent wage reduction, which could be offset by grants.
