Comments on: Century’s Latest Proposed Budget Comes Up Short; Council Discusses Cutting Employee Raises

By: John Doe

John Doe — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 18:45:13 +0000

@Clark, it’s absurd how overpriced the dell laptops are that are sold to the county. Underpowered and overpriced.

By: Clark

Clark — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 23:18:21 +0000

“a $1,700 laptop for the town clerk.” vs “short $1,500 for the next fiscal year.”

What does a town clerk do that needs either a MacBook Pro or an absurdly high spec Windows device?

Are those other laptops or the new office furniture also so expensive?

By: Joniqua

Joniqua — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 23:02:42 +0000

I wish my employer paid 99% of my insurance costs. If your having trouble balancing a budget, then do what the rest of us do. Take off anything unnecessary, like the flooring and office furniture. Are they actually needed right now?

By: Citizen

Citizen — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 20:17:07 +0000

Jay
They provide water, sewer and trash pick up and the incorporation makes it eligible for grants and also since the town gets the authority and reports to the state it is also eligible for State funding rather than county. They get sales tax and gas tax. It keeps sreet lights on and should take care of streets, signs etc. If unincorporated the county could access extra property tax to inviduals for that, even for a new waste treatment plant.

They could do better.

Running off Prather and the CTA is on the town council. That is who the voters put in.

The office and furniture does us no good. I thought they could appoint 2 more members after two seats vacate. Looks like they are going for special election with the charter change and they submit a balanced budget after the hearings.

Hope that helps Jay.

By: CIitizen

CIitizen — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 20:04:15 +0000

Use the ARPA funds.

By: James

James — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 17:29:04 +0000

Employees receiving insurance while only covering 1% of the costs, and also looking at the prospect of 7-10% pay raise. Any employee complaining about this doesn’t realize how lucky they actually are. Looking at corporate America, one will be hard-pressed to find companies paying virtually the full insurance costs and giving raises the likes of Century. There is a lot to cut from employee benefits and still reward the employees more than most companies.

By: RaD

RaD — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 13:15:12 +0000

If you are $1500 short on budget on a $1,000,000 payroll, merely reducing raises by 1/4% should more than balance the budget. So instead of a 7% raise, they would receive a 6.75% raise. That is still a decent raise.

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:48:12 +0000

Why does the city of Century, corporately, still exist? What value does it provide the citizens?

By: tg

tg — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:37:50 +0000

You had to know they would figure out how to spend the surplus. Century will never have a SURPLUS.

By: judy

judy — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:03:40 +0000

“The town also pays 99% of an employee’s health insurance cost, plus 50% for additional family members. Their annual personnel costs are nearing $1 million.” Perhaps if the employees did NOT get a pay raise, they could understand what the rest of Escambia County is going thru. They do virtually NOTHING to earn the pay they get now! This “town” is a slowly dying financial drain on everyone except those who are in charge. They are the ONLY ones benefiting!