Lincolnton City
manager Jeff Emory (left) and mayor David
Black prepare notes for the budget
workshop Friday.
BENEFITS
KEY TO KEEPING CITY EMPLOYEES?
By Jon Mayhew
LINCOLNTON – With all of
the City of Lincolnton department heads
gathered together Friday at City Hall,
one message through all of the capital
requests came out loud and clear.
Keep the benefits for the city employees.
Planning director Steve Gurley was one of
several department heads to echo the
message to city manager Jeff Emory and
mayor David Black.
“That’s what we really need to
hang onto are the benefits,” said
Gurley.
Public works and utilities director Steve
Peeler agreed with Gurley’s
sentiment.
“Benefits. That’s what my
employees want,” said Gurley.
“That’s what they are looking
for and that’s what my hourly people
need to survive. If there’s any way
we can continue (the benefits), then we
need to.”
City personnel director Tina Hurdt echoed
the comments, pointing in part to the low
turnover rate among city employees.
In 2008, the City of Lincolnton had 43
job postings with a total of 30 new
hires. Nine of those hires were internal,
the other 21 external.
Hurdt said the turnover rate without
considering retirees was nearly six
percent. Factor in retirees, the turnover
rate drops to nearly four percent.
“The low turnover rate is a
reflection of how good the city employees
are,” said Hurdt.
She did not address the issue of raises
for city employees, nor did any of the
department heads in attendance Friday.
However, city manager Jeff Emory
addressed the outcry to keep benefits.
“We’ve heard you regarding
benefits loud and clear,” said
Emory. “My first priority is keeping
the City of Lincolnton as an attractive
place to work and serving the interests
of our employees is our top
priority.”
Emory’s comments come after a
two-week series of editorials ran in The
Carolina Scoop on “As the Raise
Turns,” where Emory received a six
percent salary increase in December in
addition to a four percent one-time bonus
and other perks, including a car
allowance and a cost of living increase.
Dependent health insurance coverage is
provided for all city employees on the
city’s dime. Figures of how much
that costs weren’t available as of
Friday.
City employees across Lincolnton,
however, only receive salary increases
upon promotion and a 2.5 percent cost of
living increase. For an employee making
$20,000 per year, the cost of living
raise amounts to only $500.
When questioned about his raise and
one-time bonus – amounting to over
$10,000 – Emory cited it was in his
employment contract with the City of
Lincolnton to be evaluated for a possible
salary “adjustment” every year.
2008 marked the first raise for the city
manager in two years, according to
records provided to The Carolina Scoop
from mayor David Black.
Saturday, the Lincolnton City Council
members will get to hear the budget
presentations for the first time at City
Hall starting at 8:15am.
The public is encouraged and invited to
attend the workshop on Saturday, as well
as the final day starting at 1:30pm
Sunday.
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