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Century’s Latest Proposed Budget Comes Up Short; Council Discusses Cutting Employee Raises
August 22, 2022
The Century Town Council may be rethinking employee raises following a recent budget meeting.
Earlier in the month, the council was presented with a proposed budget that projected $51,000 more in income than expenses. But an updated proposal shows them short $1,500 for the next fiscal year that begins October 1.
By the time a final budget is approved, state law says it must balance.
Robert Hudson, the town’s accountant, said somewhere about $160,000 could be moved from an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund into the budget, creating a positive flow and making it “look better” with reserves in some accounts.
“I don’t see spending money because we’ve got it,” Council President Luis Gomez, Jr. said of the ARPA funds.
“This seems like we are turning APRA into a slush fund,” he said.
It was discussed at the meeting that department heads had submitted a list of needed items for the new budget. Very few of those items were discussed at the meeting. There was mention of $35,000 for new floor coverings, $12,000 for new office furniture and $6,000 for new laptops, including a $1,700 laptop for the town clerk.
The proposal also included a 7% cost of living raise. Hudson said that there will likely be increased over 10% approved this year for Social Security recipients.
“I think that’s a lot,” council member Dynette Lewis said.
“How long are we going to continue to give 5%, 7% maybe 10% next year and keep paying 100% of the employees’,” Gomez said of the full health insurance payment for employees. “We can’t do a budget like this.”
“We’ve got to look at this in reality. This is unsustainable. This is not a metropolitan town. It isn’t New York, and it’s not even Pensacola. We are either going to have to decrease the employees, or decrease some of this insurance, or decrease some of that pay raise,” Gomez added. “Just because that’s the national average, this town is not big enough for that. Let’s be realistic.”
The town also pays 99% of an employee’s health insurance cost, plus 50% for additional family members. Their annual personnel costs are nearing $1 million.
Pictured top: Council member Sandra McMurray Jackson, Luis Gomez. Jr., and Dynette Lewis listen to accountant Robert Hudson. Pictured below: Council members James Smith, Jr. questions Hudson. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
13 Responses to “Century’s Latest Proposed Budget Comes Up Short; Council Discusses Cutting Employee Raises”
@Clark, it’s absurd how overpriced the dell laptops are that are sold to the county. Underpowered and overpriced.
“a $1,700 laptop for the town clerk.” vs “short $1,500 for the next fiscal year.”
What does a town clerk do that needs either a MacBook Pro or an absurdly high spec Windows device?
Are those other laptops or the new office furniture also so expensive?
I wish my employer paid 99% of my insurance costs. If your having trouble balancing a budget, then do what the rest of us do. Take off anything unnecessary, like the flooring and office furniture. Are they actually needed right now?
Jay
They provide water, sewer and trash pick up and the incorporation makes it eligible for grants and also since the town gets the authority and reports to the state it is also eligible for State funding rather than county. They get sales tax and gas tax. It keeps sreet lights on and should take care of streets, signs etc. If unincorporated the county could access extra property tax to inviduals for that, even for a new waste treatment plant.
They could do better.
Running off Prather and the CTA is on the town council. That is who the voters put in.
The office and furniture does us no good. I thought they could appoint 2 more members after two seats vacate. Looks like they are going for special election with the charter change and they submit a balanced budget after the hearings.
Hope that helps Jay.
Use the ARPA funds.
Employees receiving insurance while only covering 1% of the costs, and also looking at the prospect of 7-10% pay raise. Any employee complaining about this doesn’t realize how lucky they actually are. Looking at corporate America, one will be hard-pressed to find companies paying virtually the full insurance costs and giving raises the likes of Century. There is a lot to cut from employee benefits and still reward the employees more than most companies.
If you are $1500 short on budget on a $1,000,000 payroll, merely reducing raises by 1/4% should more than balance the budget. So instead of a 7% raise, they would receive a 6.75% raise. That is still a decent raise.
Why does the city of Century, corporately, still exist? What value does it provide the citizens?
You had to know they would figure out how to spend the surplus. Century will never have a SURPLUS.
“The town also pays 99% of an employee’s health insurance cost, plus 50% for additional family members. Their annual personnel costs are nearing $1 million.” Perhaps if the employees did NOT get a pay raise, they could understand what the rest of Escambia County is going thru. They do virtually NOTHING to earn the pay they get now! This “town” is a slowly dying financial drain on everyone except those who are in charge. They are the ONLY ones benefiting!
Instead of balancing the budget they want to steal from another fund. Just disband the town already.
The town should vote to shut itself down. It’s time.
GROAN Poor Little Century, so Very Sad.
“The Century Town Council may be rethinking employee raises following a recent budget meeting.”
Take away or not give employee raises, a Fine way to encourage workers and win the hearts and minds of the citizens.