Raises needed, but how much?

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS February 04, 2008 03:01 pm

— Although some folks might claim Tahlequah city officials don't need raises, the detractors would be in the minority. With just a few exceptions, city officials and their employees – elected or otherwise – do an outstanding job.
In accordance with state law, elected officials (except the mayor) haven't had a raise since their current terms began in 2005. However, granting a 5 percent raise, retroactive for every year starting in 2005 to take effect in May 2009 – as Police Chief Steve Farmer proposes for four officials – may be a bit over the top.
Farmer did most of the research to justify the request, and he compared Tahlequah officials' pay to that of others in the area – four cities with populations smaller than Tahlequah's, four larger. Not surprisingly, Tahlequah's pay is lower than the average.
What Farmer did not do, however, is contrast the percentage of the proposed raises with what other folks have been receiving during the five-year period. Such a comparison will reveal that while local officials' salaries may appear lower than those of their colleagues in the other selected cities, the suggested 5 percent for five years is considerably higher than what the average Oklahoman has received.
Take an institution like Northeastern State University, where pay and benefits are better than most places here, and where the minimum wage was proactively raised before anywhere else. Since 2005, NSU has granted an average raise of about 4 percent, though one year was not able to give raises at all (employees did get one-time $500 stipend).
From a certain point of view, a 3.5 percent raise is more of a cost-of-living adjustment than a reward for a job well done. But 3.5 percent is about typical for pay hikes across the nation from 2005-2008. Yet during these tough economic times, annual increases – cost-of-living or otherwise – have not been the norm. Many workers have gone two years or longer without any adjustment. And benefits have been trimmed, even as their cost to workers has risen.
We agree with Street Commissioner Mike Corn that if other city employees get cost-of-living adjustments, elected officials should, too. We also agree with Ward 2 Councilor Jack Spears that for the most part, our city officials deserve better pay. But just how much better is the question – and the amount should be based not merely on what's happening with officials in nearby cities, but on what's happening with others in the local workforce.
All cities operate under different circumstances and in diverse environments. Some, though similar in size to Tahlequah, have bigger tax bases due to the presence of heavy industry. Some are bedroom communities to larger cities like Tulsa, and are populated by commuters earning higher wages than folks in a city farther afield.
All of us who live in Tahlequah are sailing in the same demographic ship, though some are in first class and some in steerage. Wouldn't it be fair, therefore, to also use the average wage in Tahlequah to gauge what our elected officials should be paid, and at what rate and frequency they should receive raises?
According to the most recent Census figures, the median household income in Tahlequah is under $28,000 a year. We are by no means suggesting city officials should be forced to work at that rate, given the responsibilities with which they're charged. But perhaps a more reasonable raise would be 3 or 3.5 percent from 2005 to 2009. This would be less intrusive on the city budget, and more in line with what the average Joe in Tahleqah earns.
And, as was pointed out during last year's discussion about the proposed tripling of the mayor's salary, more concern should be accorded to the average Joe on the city payroll. Before city officials accept generous raises, they should make sure those who work for them are adequately compensated.
We suspect if comparisons were made between the pay of Tahlequah city employees and those in the other cities Farmer cited, the discrepancy would be even greater than that of the elected officials. Perhaps considerably greater.