The morning Journal Sentinel carried a brief story about the Germantown Citizens Action Coalition and attributed several points to the group's president, Larry Prodoehl.
Mr. Prodoehl reportedly stated this group of Germantown citizens wants the raises for non-bargaining village employees trimmed or eliminated and that they want the proposed recycling center 'tipping fee' dropped entirely. He reasoned that the tipping fee, expected to raise between $40,000 and $45,000 per year, was approximately the amount needed for the raises. That has been estimated at $36,000 for the initial year.
The 'tipping fee' is now apparently off the table for good after a flip flop or two. There has already been discussion amongst the board members regarding a reduction in the proposed 3% increases down to 2%. The village has gone through a period where several key people had moved to other positions outside Germantown to earn more money. The recent survey of area communities supported the idea of increases, as you would expect to have been the case. Surveys aren't typically referenced if they do not support one or another point of view. That is not an accusation, but simply a statement of the norm.
Incidentally, the idea of banners strung across Mequon and Pilgrim Roads has finally been axed. No matter the cost, that simply was not a good idea if we want to maintain the 'feel' of our community.
What about a pay increase for the non-bargaining village employees?
I have little problem with that if the employees are rewarded on merit and not simply on longevity. My recollection of this proposal was that it contained an initial increase followed by regular step increases over time. The initial increase might well be needed although the amount might be questioned.
The idea of automatic step increases bothers me since the employee who lags is given the same increase as the one who excels. I believe, further, that fellow employees will not be pleased to see their less-productive counter-parts receiving the same increase they received. Rather than to improve morale, this actually works in reverse. We'll face the loss of employees simply because there is no way for the good employees to earn more than the poor employees. Ultimately, our village staff will be comprised of mediocre employees who are paid more than they're worth. We'll all suffer as the result. If you'll recall, MATC uses automatic step increases; we can see the out-of-control tax increases that result by simply looking at this situation.
Remember, if you have points of view that you want to be heard, comments to any Blogs are welcome. You need not agree with me to get the comment published. The other thing you can do is show up at the Village Administration Center on Monday, November 19th at 7:00PM. Citizen input is welcome...and necessary!
