Seymour city workers to get 2% raises

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All city workers, including elected officials, will receive a 2 percent pay raise in 2016.

The Seymour City Council approved the increases Monday night as part of ordinances setting employees’ salaries.

It’s the same percentage increase employees received this year. In 2014, they received 3 percent.

Mayor Craig Luedeman believes the increase is fair but said the city likely will have to do a salary rate study for all departments next year.

“It’s been 12 years at least since we’ve done one,” he said.

Of the 2 percent, those who are on the city’s health insurance plan will spend half of it to cover increases in health insurance premiums, Luedeman said.

The ordinances do not include police and firefighters salaries, whose contracts are approved through the collective bargaining process with their respective unions.

Instead of 2 percent, each officer and firefighter will receive a $1,000 raise next year. The difference was about $20 more per employee, Luedeman said. It also was put into the contracts that firefighters could use their unused sick time before they retire, Luedeman said.

“It’s not a new practice. They’ve been doing that anyway, but they wanted it in their contracts,” he said.

According to the 2016 salary ordinances, Luedeman will receive $67,100, including $700 in longevity pay, while Clerk-Treasurer Fred Lewis will make $56,035 with $2,000 in longevity pay.

Each city employee is eligible for $100 in longevity pay for each year they have worked for the city.

The seven city council members will receive $5,699 each in 2016 for a total of $39,893 and an additional $2,550 total in longevity pay. There are two new council members joining Jan. 1 — Matt Nicholson and Shawn Malone. They will not be eligible to receive longevity pay until 2017.

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Seymour city officials salaries for 2016 after a 2 percent increase:

Mayor Craig Luedeman: $67,100

Clerk-Treasurer Fred Lewis: $56,035

City council members: $5,699 for each of the seven council members

Building Commissioner Jeremy Gray: $51,139

Fire Chief Brad Lucas: $61,105

Department of Public Works Director Bill Everhart: $53,499

City attorney Rodney Farrow: $29,467

Police Chief Bill Abbott: $61,105

Transit Director Edie Otte: $33,437

Parks and recreation director (vacant): $51,139

Water Pollution Control Facility Superintendent Randy Hamilton: $61,136

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