Limit non-sworn staff raises to 1.873% in budget forecast

[Don Zimmerman]

CM Colleagues -
In advance of the release of the Manager's "Budget Forecast", I request a Council Resolution limiting city staff (non-sworn) pay increases to not exceed the median of our metro area pay increases. Here's a copy of our recent PR on that.

AUSTIN—March 30, 2016, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) showing wage increases across the country by Metropolitan areas.

The May 2015 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX study (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_12420.htm) showed the median hourly wage increased by 1.873% from the May 2014 study (http://www.bls.gov/oes/2014/may/oes_12420.htm).

Last year, this study showed a 0.801% increase in the median wage for the Austin area. However, in the 2015-16 Forecast Budget, the City Manager proposed a 3% across the board raise for all non-sworn City of Austin employees.

Over the past previous 5 years, the BLS has shown that the median wage in the Austin area has increased by 7.89%, while non-sworn City employees have gotten a 14% wage increase.

This year, Council Member Don Zimmerman is calling upon the City Manager to set worker expectations correctly and not propose a wage increase above the 1.87% median increase.

The 2016-17 City of Austin Forecast Budget is expected to be released in April.