Housing Authority increases salaries
The Fayette County Housing Authority voted Thursday to increase the salary ranges for employees, but stopped short of making any other updates to the salary and performance appraisal policy. Executive secretary Trudy Pastories explained that the increased salary ranges would only affect the minimum salaries of six employees who were below the range after the update, and will cost an additional $3,500 annually.
Pastories said the affected employees include one senior services homemaker, one senior services secretary, one care manager and three clerk administrators. She said three of the positions are funded by the Area Agency on Aging and the housing authority funds three positions.
Executive Director Thomas Harkless said the largest amount any of the six affected individuals were below the salary range was $688. He said money is available to fund the increases.
The authority also discussed and then rejected additional recommendations made by Peter R. Johnson & Company to make changes to the performance appraisal form, including elimination of a section referencing attendance and adding an additional performance level of “meets some” requirements. The two separate salary structures for “exempt” and “non-exempt” employees include 18 starting salaries that include a low of $14,438 and a high of $80,474.
Chairwoman Angela M. Zimmerlink said common sense and practical experience plays a key role in performance appraisals and it is a part of the job of authority members.
In response to a question about the cost, Pastories estimated the price tag from Peter R. Johnson & Co. to the authority to update the policy was about $23,000.
Board member Beverly Beal, who voted against the change, said the $20,000 could have been saved and given to the low-paid employees.
“I don’t need Peter Johnson to do a survey to say how much to pay employees. I think the board should be giving raises each year,” Beal said. “The high paid get more and the low paid get less.”
Harkless disputed Beal’s assessment, saying the amount of salary increase depends on the evaluation of the employee. He said the board can throw out the table and give across-the-board increases but that could potentially give the same raises to people performing at different levels.
Harkless said the salary performance appraisal policy is a merit system in which employees are rated on performance and then given a numerical value for their performance, and the raise is determined by where they are in the pay range already.
Board member William “Trip” Radcliffe said he was in favor of raising the minimum salaries but is not in favor of just rewarding someone for longevity.
“I’m not enamored with paying Peter Johnson $20,000 again, but the problem is there is no information for a better system,” Radcliffe said.
The motion to update the salary ranges was approved with a 3-2 vote with Radcliffe, James V. Bitonti and Nancy Sutton voting yes, and Beal and Zimmerlink voting no.