Nonunion managers to receive raises

Nearly 80 managers not represented by unions, including the former members of the now-defunct Burbank City Attorneys Assn., will receive salary increases to offset the cost of having to pay their full pension employee contributions.

The employees will have to double what they currently pay toward their pensions which will be 9% of the police captains’ salaries, and 8% of the salaries for the rest of the employees. Members of the former attorneys union picked their full pension employee contribution in April.

The group includes 54 job classifications, including police captains and assistant and deputy directors, consisting of 77 employees.

Former attorneys union members, who received a 3% salary increase in April, will get another 3.5% raise, while the rest of the employees will receive a 4.5% salary hike after having received a 2% raise last summer.

City officials said the 6.5% salary increase will offset the out-of-pocket impact on the employees to pay their full employee pension contribution.

The Burbank City Council approved the changes in a 4-0 vote on Tuesday. Councilman Jess Talamantes was absent.

For this fiscal year, the cost of the raises, as well as modest increases to the employees’ health benefits, is $445,810, while the changes to the pension contribution will save the city $272,275, leaving a net cost of $173,535.

Even so, during the past four years as city employees have paid more into their pensions incrementally, the city has realized cost savings, said city spokesman Drew Sugars.