City Council wrapped up its last meeting of 2014 Monday night, passing legislation that focused primarily on updating city employee wages and benefits for the next year.
Out of the 12 measures passed at the meeting, six dealt with matters of employee pay rates, insurance or contracts with the city.
One ordinance allowed for a 2 percent wage increase for City Council’s members, president, mayor and law director. These increases will not be effective until 2016, when new terms for these positions begin.
Council members currently make $7,537 a year, and will make $7,612 next year, according to a 2003 city code.
A second clause of the ordinance passed Monday will allow for a 2 percent wage increase for the city treasurer in 2017.
Council members also passed an ordinance extending their medical insurance contract.
Another measure passed by council increased the yearly budget appropriated to the city’s Government Access Channel from $56,000 to $68,000.
In addition to updating equipment for the station, a portion of that increase will go toward increasing its executive director, Scott Thompson’s, yearly salary. Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, said Thompson’s salary has not increased since 2011.
“We’re glad to be seeing this proposal move forward because it’s been four years in the works,” Butler said.
Council passed three measures adjusting wages and benefits for city fire and police department employees.
One measure will increase salaries for three city fire officials by 2 percent next year.
The ordinance, which would put the officials above the maximum yearly salary for city employees, also exempts the officials from that salary limit, Councilwoman Chris Knisely, D-at large, said.
She added the fire department employees work 2,496 hours a year, rather than 2,080 hours like most city employees, making them qualified for the exemption.
“This is really a minimal correction because of the hours worked (by fire department employees),” said Service-Safety Director Paula Horan-Mosely.
Mosely clarified that per-hour pay rates for fire department employees are still similar to the wages of other city employees.
Another ordinance will allow for a seven-and-a-half percent pay increase for law enforcement officers over the course of the next three years. The ordinance also will also allow benefits for officers who have a four-year degree or higher.
The meeting closed with a presentation from Christopher Geggie, a representative with the Ohio chapter of Why Marriage Matters.
Geggie encouraged Athens residents to support marriage equality in light of the several cases brought to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals contesting Ohio’s ban on same-sex marriage, which was passed 10 years ago. The ban was upheld by the same court in early November, with some saying the cases now had a chance to make it to the Supreme Court.
He also passed around a petition, which he said several council members had already signed.
“Only Athens voted down (the ban),” he said. “Ten years later we need your help again.”
