Geneva OKs budget with merit raises included

The Geneva City Council adopted a budget Monday night that includes money for merit raises for city workers, after an impassioned speech by Mayor Kevin Burns supporting the raises and criticizing aldermen who didn't.

The council adopted the $66 million budget 8-1, with Alderman Ralph Dantino casting the lone "no" vote. The mayor chose to vote on the matter; normally he only votes when there is a tie. Aldermen Ron Singer and Dorothy Flanagan were absent.

When the budget was discussed at a committee of the whole meeting in March, the council tied 5-5 on whether to approve it, disagreeing over the raises, with aldermen Sam Hill, Richard Marks, Ray Pawlak, Flanagan and Dantino voting against the budget. Burns then broke the tie.

About $260,000 has been earmarked for performance-based raises of up to 2 percent.

"Are the men and women who make this town hum, click and work worth as much as the capital investments just listed? Of course they are - whether they be chiefs or clerks, superintendents, support staff or street maintenance workers," said Burns, whose prepared speech lasted about 10 minutes. He was comparing the raise money to the $213,000 the city plans to spend on vehicles and equipment, the $225,000 to be spent on water treatment chemicals, and the $300,000 planned for engineering and possible reconstruction of one-half of the Manchester Course alley.

He pointed out that the council set a compensation policy in 2006, and also calls for competitive compensation and reward for work well done in its strategic plan, which the council updates every year.