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Ferriday employees to get raise
Published Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Ferriday — The Ferriday City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to give city employees a 6 percent raise, however the debate got much more heated when Johnnie Brown also proposed a $500 raise for the town aldermen.
The initial raise for city employees was a standard cost of living raise that will be used to address the rising cost of food, gas and energy, Mayor Gene Allen said.
“Inflation is between 6 and 12 percent and I don’t think this gas is going to come down any,” he said.
The employee raise was originally planned at 3 percent but was increased when the council realized that the cost of living rate was 6 percent.
“The town does have the money, and we can afford it,” Allen said.
This will cost the town about $60,000
Brown’s proposed alderman raise, met with much more resistance, especially from alderman Glen Henderson.
Brown said he had studied the budget and thought the city could afford the $500 a month raise, but Henderson said this was “ridiculous.”
“You want to raise it $500 a month?” Henderson said. “You must be crazy.”
A pay increase of this kind must be completed before the new council takes charge on July 1. It also requires four weeks of advertising and two special meetings, so the idea was abandoned.
“There was absolutely no way it could happen,” Town clerk Shannon Beatty said.
In other business:
4 Jeri Sue Tosspon was hired as town CPA.
4 A partnership with FEMA was approved.
4C & A Auto Body and Paint was selected to repair a police car for $1,119.
4 Employees with comp time would be paid within five to 10 days, according to the clerk’s records.
4 A new tape recorder will be bought.
Comments
Posted by jammin1 (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 12:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Has anyone seen how much gold Johnnie Brown wears? Ha he must need new necklace, bracelet or ring. LOL I could see a raise for up to $350.00 a month, but $500 is just rediculous!!
Posted by Choctaw (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 1:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it sucks that Ferriday city employees are getting a 6% raise and Vidalia city employees are only getting a 3% raise! The cost of living for Vidalia city employees has also risen above the 3% mark!
Vidalia is much larger than Ferriday and at least the Police in Vidalia don't mistreat their citizens like the Ferriday police do!
I think the Aldermen in Ferriday should get a raise,,,,,but absolutely NOT a $500 raise!!! Thats ludicrous!!!
Posted by vilou (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 7:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Ferriday employees haven't gotten a raise in quiet a few years but Vidalia employees have. The Vidalia city council is suppose to meet June 16th and decide how much can be given. Three percent is not set in stone.
Posted by triscuit (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Cost of living used to be estimated at 3% per year. Is 3% still the estimation? And if you've missed a 3% raise every year for the last ten years, my math tells me that you'd now be 38.4% behind in cost of living alone. Just saying that to call it "cost of living" if they're not giving them at least 3% every year is kind of silly. Does anyone know if 3% is still the number used, or did most employers give up on keeping up with cost of living period?
Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I see it as a blessing, and the same for Vidalia. Lord, knows I could stand for one now.
Posted by josey (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good for you Ferriday city council its about time that the real workers get a raise. As far as a raise for the aldermen that is LAUGHABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Hambone (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just send them all to Las Vegas.
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 10:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
HahaHambone! I can't get the picture out of my head of Gene Allen cruising the Vegas strip in his convertable rental. As the flashing lights of Sin City bounce off his reflector-lensed sunshades, he'll be thinking, "Thank you Ferriday for the most wonderful going away present, EVER!"
Posted by dmackZuluking (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 10:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What goes on in Ferriday, stays in Ferriday !
Posted by rocketman (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 11:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yep, all the employees deserve a raise. After all, the Attorney General is keeping too close an eye on town hall to allow any more stealing to be going on and they gotta have that money!
Posted by rocketman (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 11:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Besides, G.A. wants as much money as possible depleted from the towns funds so Glen will come into office with the town struggling. He SO cares about the town! Yeah, right.
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