City raises hourly wage for water and sewer department
City of Bonners Ferry seal.
(Courtesy Photo City of Bonners Ferry)
BONNERS FERRY — City Council recently approved a $3 hourly wage increase for the water and sewer department as part of an effort to help recruit new staff for two vacant positions.
The water and sewer department are funded by utilities or enterprise funds, not the general fund, which is in a shortfall.
In a staff report, it was recommended the council increase the lower end of hourly wages in order to entice entry level applicants and to try to compete with what local grocery stores pay.
City Administrator Lisa Ailport said that if the lower end of the hourly wage was increased by $3 then the top half should as well, or else it could appear that the city doesn’t value the efforts of its experienced staff.
Councilman Ron Smith said he was opposed to just raising the hourly wage for one department, rather he wanted wages across departments to be raised at the same time to prevent “animosity” between utility fund and general fund departments.
Councilwoman Valerie Thompson said that she wanted to make sure the city was solid in the sewer and water department and that the two positions would be filled. She added that raises for other departments can be discussed during budget season.
Councilman Brion Poston agreed the department should receive a raise in order to fill the two positions, but that departments in the general fund couldn’t receive raises until the shortfall was solved.
“You can’t talk about the general fund, because we don’t have anything in there,” he said, adding the issue could be addressed after the May election.
Bonners Ferry Police Chief Brian Zimmerman said “speaking from a general fund department, we’re OK with dealing with one department at a time. Then you can concentrate on where the money is coming from.”
He added the other departments aren’t going to have any heartburn over an enterprise fund department receiving raises in order to be competitive.
The council approved the wage increase for the water and sewer department for all employees and minimum and maximum starting wages by 3-1 vote. Smith voted no.