Columbia's city budget raises concerns

The proposed budget would cut individual pay and affect overtime.

By Trevor Eischen

Published Sept. 11, 2009

Columbia residents gathered at Tuesday night's City Council meeting to express concern for the 2010 fiscal year proposed budget.

The largest groups in attendance included Columbia Water and Light Department, Columbia Professional Firefighters members, Laborers' International Union of North America Local 773 and the Central Missouri Humane Society.

Columbia Professional Firefighters President Brad Frazier said he and fellow firefighters realize cuts to personnel costs need to be made, but he and other labor representatives proposed a plan in which all government employees would receive a minute decrease in pay as opposed to the larger personnel cuts proposed in the city budget.

"The proposal we endorse does not discriminate," Frazier said. "It distributes cost reductions evenly among every city employee, with an average impact equivalent to one hour of salary per paycheck per employee."

Frazier said with the firefighters' proposal, several employees who lost 3 percent in salary last year would only have lost 1.2 percent, or the equivalent of a can of soda every day.

Columbia Water and Light employee Fred Eaton spoke on behalf of his department during the public comment period.

He also said the proposal discriminates against workers with lower incomes but leaves higher-paid employees unscathed.

"On the other side of the wage scale, there are employees who earn six-figure salaries that will not be affected by this current proposal," Eaton said.

Eaton also said overtime in the budget has become an issue.

"Columbia Water and Light employees rarely work overtime on their terms," Eaton said.

City Manager Bill Watkins' proposed budget would change the basis for which employees are paid overtime. Employees would only be paid for overtime accumulated on a weekly basis, as opposed to overtime paid per extra hours worked in a day.

Eaton said this is unfair when workers are called to fix broken equipment during atypical hours. And when employees have worked too much, Eaton said they must take time off.

After the large group of firefighters and labor union members gave their presentations, the Humane Society presented its case to the council and asked for approximately $79,000 on top of the $100,000 it already receives from the city.

"We're doing too much with too little," Executive Director Patty Forister said. "We are a bunch of bleeding hearts and our policy is to never turn an animal away. And that means an animal from the city of Columbia or that means an animal that needs help in Fulton or Moberly."

CMHS works with 12 other counties in the Missouri area to accommodate for animal shelter services. CMHS receives $20 per animal for care fees. The actual cost per animals comes out between $60 and $86.

Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade said he does not agree with the request. He said Columbia already supports the shelter adequately, and other counties CMHS works with need to pay their own dues, or CMHS needs to reconsider its influx of animals.

"We are also subsidizing the cost of animal care for the state of Missouri and 12 surrounding counties, and you are coming to us asking to additionally subsidize that with taxpayer's money," Wade said. "I have a problem justifying taxpayer's money for that justification."

The council will vote on Watkins' proposed budget at their next meeting Sept. 18.