Amid COVID pandemic, no raises for Sedgwick County workers; spending remains flat
Sedgwick County is planning to freeze employee pay next year as it attempts to climb out of the economic hole brought on by the COVD-19 pandemic.
“As we look at what’s going on with our community, with our economy, we know that we have to be exceptionally lean,” Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz said before presenting his budget recommendations to county commissioners Wednesday.
A big part of that leanness is that there will be “no raise in compensation package for any employees,” Stolz’ report said.
He called it a “painful sacrifice,” especially after the county had planned to work toward implementing the results of a recent compensation study showing many employees are underpaid for their positions.
“That clearly is going to have to be put on hold for a budget year,” Stolz said.
One bright spot for the employees is that their health insurance costs will remain the same as this year, he said.
The county’s health-care plan cost rose less than anticipated, a modest 3.5 percent, so the county will absorb the full increase and keep premiums level for employees, Stolz said.
The pay freeze will also be accompanied by what Stolz described as a “hiring delay,” leaving all but key emergency positions unfilled indefinitely.
Also on hold will be staff travel for training opportunities, unless it’s required for a mandatory certification to perform the job.
Stolz said that’s something the county can tolerate for a year, “but if you continue it year after year it tends to degrade the organization.”
Overall, the budget plan calls for about $438 million in spending on county services and $19.3 million for the county Fire District, which is separately funded.
The property tax rate will stay roughly the same, projected at 29.359 mills for county government and 17.889 mills for the fire district. That means the county’s portion of your property tax bill won’t increase unless your property values went up.
Commissioner Jim Howell, a fiscal conservative, complimented the staff on keeping spending from rising.
“By my calculation it’s about a $206,000 increase over last year’s budget — the adopted budget — that’s pretty flat,” he said.
According to the budget, there will be some spending increases, including:
▪ $1 million additional funding for the sheriff’s office for housing inmates out of the county instead of in the county jail.
▪ Four new positions for courthouse service deputies, $360,000.
▪ Two new positions for the Integrated Care Team, which reacts to situations involving disturbed individuals. Teams consist of a law enforcement officer, a paramedic and a mental-health professional, the goal being to de-escalate situations that could turn violent. The team has been operating as a pilot program, and the $140,000 in proposed new funding will make it permanent.
▪ $269,000 for five positions for docket assistants for the District Attorney’s Office, paralegals to direct traffic within the department and make sure that lawyers get to the right courtrooms when they need to be there. District Attorney Marc Bennett said the extra positions are necessary to comply with a Supreme Court order mandating that each judge handle their cases from start to finish.
The pay and hiring freezes are necessary to continue the county’s ability to provide vital services with less revenue, Stolz said.
“In times of austerity and cut, the government services are needed in the community more than ever,” Stolz said. “I’m talking everything from public health and the sheriff and 911 to mental health and the secondary services we provide.”
The budget released Wednesday does not include any of the $99 million in federal funds the county has received for expenses directly attributable to the coronavirus pandemic. Those funds can only be used for expenses through the end of this year and can’t carry over into 2021.
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 4:24 PM.
