LA PALMA : Council Approves Pay Raises

City employees who have not received a pay increase in at least two years are going to get raises in the new fiscal year that begins July 1.

In a new, three-year contract, police officers will get a 5% pay raise the first year and a 3 1/2% hike the second year. There will be no pay adjustment the third year of the contract.

Police clerical staff will get a 7% increase the first year and 3% the second year.

The city’s general employees, including clerks and maintenance workers, have a new two-year contract that provides a 5% pay raise the first year and 4% the next.

Management employees, who are not represented by a union, will get a 5% pay raise.

The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved the pay hikes. The council members, however, neither publicly discussed nor debated the new pay adjustments. All pay raises were on the council’s “consent calendar.” The consent calendar is usually a list of routine, non-controversial items voted on at one time with no discussion.

In a memo to the council, the city manager’s office said that the city budget could support all of the employee pay raises.

Police received a 1% pay raise two years ago, and no increase since then. Other city employees, including management, have gone three years without raises.

In addition to the pay raise for management, the council voted to give “equity increases” to three management positions to bring them into line with comparable cities.

The salary levels of the assistant to the city manager and the finance director will be raised 3%, and the pay of the director of recreation and community services will be increased 1%.