Boulder City:

City officials agree to give up raises, not car allowances

Published Tuesday, May 19, 2009 | 1:59 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, May 19, 2009 | 2:56 p.m.

Vicki Mayes

Boulder City’s top 14 appointed officials have agreed to give up their pay raises to save the city $32,000 next year, but they will keep their car allowances.

The City Council voted 4-0 during a budget meeting this morning to accept the department heads’ offer to forgo a pay increase in next year’s budget, which begins July 1. Councilwoman Linda Strickland was absent.

The city’s 26 managers and administrative workers who are not covered by union contracts were due to get a 2.25 percent raise to match those negotiated with the Teamsters Local 14, according to a memo prepared for the council.

The car allowances — $450 a month for City Manager Vicki Mayes and $350 a month for the other managers — have been a target of criticism. The council voted recently to not offer the allowance to new department head-level employees, and Strickland had proposed cutting existing allowances to save money.

The council voted this morning to accept the cut of cost-of-living allowances for those employees who receive the car allowance. Mayes had proposed folding the car allowances into those employees’ salaries, but the council rejected that idea.

All of the department heads said they were willing to give up the annual raise, but not the car allowances, Mayes said.

“They are not willing to go into a reduction in pay,” she said. The proposed pay raises would not be enough to cover the loss of the car allowance.

For example, Mayes’ monthly pay, including the car allowance, is $13,246. If she were to receive a 2.25 percent raise but lose the car allowance, she would receive $13,082 a month.

Councilman Travis Chandler said that if the auto allowance were folded into the base pay, the city would pay retirement fees and other costs on the allowances.

City managers who receive the $350-a-month allowance are Finance Director Tim Inch, City Attorney Dave Olsen, City Clerk Pamella Malmstrom, Public Works Director Scott Hanson, Police Chief Thomas Finn, Fire Chief Kevin Nicholson, Community Development Director Brok Armantrout, Parks and Recreation Director Roger Hall, City Engineer Jim Keane, Deputy Police Chief John Chase, Information Systems Manager Maureen Walsh, Development Services and Conservation Specialist Skip Spilman and the deputy fire chief, a position that is open.

Discussion: 3 comments so far…

By neiman1

5/19/09 at 6:16 a.m.

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So nice. They will give up what they don't have yet BUT wont give up anything they already have. Let them give up their jobs. Fire them today.
By brewstergirl

5/19/09 at 10:33 a.m.

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YOU SHOULD BE FIRED FOR JUST BEING SO MEAN.
By brucombs

5/20/09 at noon

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I find the whole thing about the City Council giving up their raises, is a good gesture to a point. $13,000 a month in salary, and here they can save the city more money by giving up their car allowance. I just read another article where the property taxes in Boulder City will go up, so it will pay for a car allowance, their next raise? Come on guys, Mayes gets $13,000 monthly salary, and she needs a car allowance? Taxes are going up and they were considering a raise? I find it funny that lawmakers can do this in good conscious. This is why the budget is so wacked, because of City Officials, Politicians, and Lawmakers greed.