By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
The Whitewater Common Council could vote next week on salary bumps for several municipal positions.
At their most recent meeting Jan. 21, the council decided to withhold salary adjustments after directing City Manager Cameron Clapper to provide salary data from comparable communities.
Clapper’s salary adjustment requests included a $4 hourly rise for a management analyst position, from $12 per hour to $16 per hour, and a $5 hourly rise for a support research specialist serving the Community Development Authority (CDA).
“In both cases, the employee is being asked to shoulder more responsibility as it relates to the duties within their respective departments,” Clapper said.
With regard to the management analyst position, Clapper said human resources type of work has been incorporated into the job description.
Other proposed changes include a possible shift in the city’s various pay grades. Clapper is proposing a new pay grade to accommodate some members of the city’s public works department who have received new certifications.
One final proposed change relates to the police department, where salaries for the positions of captain and lieutenant have been incorporated into the document. Clapper said the salaries “were erroneously omitted from the original resolution.”
During last week’s discussion, several elected officials expressed concerns about the process. Council member Lynn Binnie had suggested several job positions be completely rewritten.
“This really should’ve been discussed during the budget,” Binnie said. “This is an overwhelming situation.”
Council member James Winship said he was receptive to make salary adjustments.
“This is not going to be a major drain on the city budget,” Winship said. “If people come in and prove they’re valuable, maybe they can be paid at a higher rate.”
Questions about tailoring positions to a particular person’s skill set also entered into the discussion.
“We’re getting a lot of bang for our buck,” Clapper said, referring to the people assuming some of the city’s positions.
If the council does approve the salary adjustments, the affected professionals likely will receive retroactive compensation going back to Jan. 1.
