City ‘reaches into savings’ to approve raises at the top

Tuesday’s Beaumont City Council meeting included approval of base wage raises and compensation valuing over $115,000 among four city employees – all of whom are on the top of the municipality’s payroll.

City Council met Tuesday, Oct. 10, and, aside from Councilman Randy Feldschau, who voted no, and Mike Getz, who was not present, council members voted to approve the following pay increases retroactively effective for Oct. 1:

City Manager Kenneth Williams, who has been employed with the City of Beaumont since Sept. 6, 2022, received a $7,500 increase in base wages and an additional 2% cost of living increase, as well as an additional $26,000 to be contributed to a retirement account or program of his choice.

City Attorney Sharae Reed, who has been with the city for more than a decade and has served as City Attorney since Jan. 10, 2022, received a $20,000 increase in base wages and an additional 2% cost of living increase as well as an additional $20,500 for contribution to a retirement account or program of her choice.

City Clerk Tina Broussard, who has served in her position since July 2007, received a 2% cost of living increase and an additional $20,500 contribution to a retirement account or program of her choice.

Chief Magistrate Craig Lively received a 2% cost of living increase and an additional $20,500 contribution to a retirement account or program of his choice.

Standing alone in his opposition, Feldschau stated that his vote was in no way a statement of employee value or their contribution to the city, but that it is simply an issue of timing.

“The timing is not right considering the size of these increases, and, for that reason, I will be voting ‘no’ today,” Feldschau stood alone.

Mayor Pro Tem A.J. Turner expressed quite the opposite opinion with his remarks:

“I feel like, as a city, we cannot say we want the best of things and not be willing to pay competitive wages with like-size cities,” said Turner. “I understand we are in a deficit, but if we don’t keep the right people in place, it will increase, but with the right leadership, I believe we will get out of it.”

When asked to review the citysanctioned salary study allegedly commissioned at the time to comprehensively review the salaries of city employees across the board, The Examiner was informed that said study was not yet complete and was not available to the public.

Mayor West concluded statements in the matter, impressing upon attendees that, although the city is in a deficit, “We are not the federal government, and we do not spend money we do not have. This is much like reaching into our savings account.”

Those interested in filling positions with the city of Beaumont may search job opportunities online at government jobs.com/careers/Beaumont, where building maintenance worker positions are available at a rate of $10 per hour, equipment operators for the parks are being sought after for $11 per hour, event maintenance workers are needed for a rate of $12 to $15.92 an hour, or parks laborers can rake in $10 to $15.50 an hour repairing walkways, ditches, gutters, and maintaining the lawn. Should one prefer an office setting, a part-time library clerk position is available at the rate of $10, literacy instructors can bring in $12 hourly, or one may maintain the quality control of police records as a records technician for Beaumont PD at the rate of $12 an hour. A total of 51 jobs are listed online with the City of Beaumont.