Oneida County Board approves pay raises for 2018
General municipal employees to receive 1.5 percent hike
BY KEVIN BONESKE
REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER
As part of the 2018 budget approved this week by the Oneida County Board, supervisors have backed a series of pay raises for county employees next year.
The board has authorized a 1.5 percent increase for general municipal employees, effective Dec. 30. According to the fiscal impact statement included with the resolution approved by supervisors, the total cost of the increase next year will come to $180,989. Of that amount, $33,689 would be covered by fees and state aids with $147,300 required from the county tax levy.
Based on the annual consumer price index of 1.84 percent listed in the resolution, the increases to the steps in the wage schedule would be below the inflation rate. An amendment introduced by supervisor Greg Pence calling for a 1.84 percent increase, which would have cost an additional $33,510 next year, was overwhelmingly defeated by the board.
PAY FOR PERFORMANCE
Two employees in the forestry, land and outdoor recreation department, assistant forestry director Paul Fiene and county forester/recreation coordinator Eric Rady, received County Board approval for a one-time merit payment of 2.5 percent of their salaries, for which they are not eligible for an increase within the wage schedule because they are paid above what a wage study put together for the county by Carlson Dettmann Consulting had designated for those positions.
The lump sum payments will be made in January, based on their 2017 salaries, and will not be added to their base salaries, which for Fiene is $70,241 and for Rady is $59,888 to receive the respective one-time wage increases of $1,756 and $1,497. When including Social Security, retirement and workers compensation, the total cost for both increases comes to $3,859.
The “pay-for-performance” increases for Fiene and Rady had been recommended by county forestry director John Bilogan and the Forestry, Land and Outdoor Recreation Committee.
‘RED-CIRCLED’ EMPLOYEES
Other employees aside from Fiene and Rady who are also deemed “red-circled” employees and will not be eligible for an increase within the wage schedule next year received County Board approval for a lump sum payment in January. According to the resolution’s fiscal impact statement, the total cost for those increases comes to $4,580.
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