The hefty raises ranging between 19-33 percent in Scranton's proposed budget for six employees will be on the chopping block during Thursday's city council meeting.
The raises, coming during a time when the financially distressed city is struggling to stay afloat, have been criticized by residents. Some council members also said the raises are deserved for employees who have worked tirelessly during the city's crisis, but the timing is bad because the city also is seeking court approval Tuesday to impose a commuter tax next year.
Before voting on a budget adoption, Councilmen Frank Joyce and Pat Rogan each said they will offer amendments to cut the proposed raises for administration solicitor Paul Kelly, council solicitor Boyd Hughes, Fire Chief Tom Davis, Business Administrator Ryan McGowan, finance manager Mary Lou Murray and human services director Gina McAndrew.
The proposed raises include the following:
n $15,000 each for Mr. Kelly and Mr. Hughes. Mr. Kelly's salary would go from $52,500 to $67,500, or a 29 percent raise, while Mr. Hughes' salary would rise 33 percent, from $45,000 to $60,000;
n $16,258, or 24 percent, for Chief Davis, from $67,228 to $83,486; and
n $10,000 each for the other three. Mr. McGowan's salary would rise from $53,550 to $63,500, or 19 percent; Ms. Murray's pay would increase from $37,400 to $47,400, or 27 percent; and the salary of Ms. McAndrew, an attorney who also is the city's PEL coordinator, would rise from $36,000 to $46,000, or 28 percent.
Mr. Joyce said he would propose during this coming Thursday's meeting cuts totaling $93,758. This would include eliminating the six raises that total $76,258, as well as cutting $15,000 in professional services from the Law Department, and $2,500 in professional services from Controller's Office funds for an audit of the Single Tax Office.
During Thursday's council meeting, Mr. Rogan made two separate motions to cut the budget.
First, Mr. Rogan proposed cutting $300,000 in revenue to come from the city creating its own towing storage yard. Mr. Rogan would abandon the storage-yard plan and balance this lost revenue with several cuts, including the following:
n Eliminating the raises for Mr. Kelly, Mr. Davis, Mr. McGowan, Ms. Murray and Ms. McAndrew, and giving Mr. Hughes a raise of $7,500. This would increase Mr. Hughes' pay to $52,500 and put it on par with Mr. Kelly's current salary. Mr. Rogan said he proposed this smaller raise for Mr. Hughes because he thought his amendment would have a better chance of passing muster of council. "I wanted them (the raises) all eliminated from day one," Mr. Rogan said.
n Not filling a senior accountant position in the Business Administration office that would save the $37,400 salary and benefits of $12,500.
n Cutting from several departments a total of $147,000 in professional services.
n Cutting $5,000 in materials/supplies from the Information Technology Department.
n Cutting $15,000 in funds for the Everhart Museum. "If we're going to make that cut, we as elected officials should try to help them (the museum) raise money privately," Mr. Rogan said.
n Cutting from Business Administration $3,000 in office supplies, $6,500 in dues/subscriptions and $4,842 in postage/freight.
This amendment was tabled Thursday by council in a 4-1 vote, with Mr. Rogan dissenting, and council President Janet Evans, Mr. Joyce, Councilman Bob McGoff and Councilman Jack Loscombe voting yes because they wanted more time to consider such cuts.
After his first motion was tabled, Mr. Rogan offered a second, smaller amendment, to cut $106,158 by reducing the raises as above and not filling the accountant position. This motion also called for spending the $106,158 on a new property tax rebate for veterans.
However, this motion, too, was tabled in the same 4-1 vote. Mr. Rogan noted that his amendments now may die if he cannot get at least two other votes to remove them from being tabled on Thursday.
"There might not even be a vote" on his amendments, he said.
The $109.7 million budget for 2013 is $24.3 million, 29 percent higher than the $85.3 million budget of 2012. Officials have attributed the budget's steep rise to new borrowing and refinancing necessary to cover a landmark state Supreme Court arbitration award of $17 million due to the city's police and fire unions and a $5 million increase in the city's mandatory minimum pension obligation, to pay interest of a $14 million tax-anticipation note the city will obtain next year and to pay contractual raises of city employees.
Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com