Starkville aldermen unanimously approved graduated raises for some city employees at the July 5 meeting, ensuring all employees will make at least $10 per hour. The move was prompted after city officials discussed the pay increases last summer.
The graduated 1-to 6-percent raises will push the city's lowest full-time, benefit-receiving employees above the $10 mark. Employees earning up to $11.50 an hour were included in the pay adjustments, to prevent any salary compression issues.
Salary compression can occur if employees on a lower pay scale end up earning more than employees on a higher pay scale before a graduated raise is implemented.
The move affects around 75 employees, or a third of the city's staff. The rates will take effect July 1, 2017. After aldermen delayed a vote on the issue from July 2015 to this year, the ruling's timing calls for the last quarter of the upcoming 2016-17 fiscal budget to be adjusted to handle the raises. The last quarter runs from July through September.
For more, see the July 14 edition.