Salary Increases Top Concern Expressed At County Budget Hearing Travis Brown, Staff Writer SNOW HILL -- Concerns about whether the budget stabilization fund will be enough to see Worcester County through until an economic turnaround were raised at Tuesday’s public budget hearing for FY15. Despite that uncertainty, there was overwhelming support from most of the nearly two dozen speakers to include a pay raise for county employees. While Tuesday’s hearing was for the entire county budget, as in years past, education once again dominated the discussion. A total of 21 speakers gave comments in favor of fully funding the Board of Education’s requested budget. That budget came in at $91,203,831 and includes a salary STEP increase for all employees as well as a 1-percent Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA), the first requested in five years. A similar raise would be extended to bus contractors as well. It is fair to note that many of the speakers were connected to the schools as teachers or support staff, with most of the remaining identifying as the parents of students. All were passionate about the need to get educators back on track with their expected compensation following a freeze for several years due to the recession. The requested STEP increase isn’t technically a raise, teacher Teresa Denning told the County Commission, but is instead educators getting back on track for their planned salaries. “It’s kind of a little bit of a misnomer because it’s not really a raise. Many people have been due this money, so it’s not really a raise,” she said. By granting the STEP increase and the COLA, the county will be more likely to attract and retain quality educators, according to Dr. Jerry Wilson, superintendent of schools. The county has already lost a lot of appeal to new teachers, he continued, with starting salaries slipping from ninth in the state and first on the shore in 2009 to 16th in the state and second on the shore today. A STEP and COLA increase would go a long way toward helping current teachers who are not receiving the same compensation as some of their counterparts, according to Wilson. “You are seeing teachers who have dedicated their careers to Worcester County not earning as much as teachers teaching the same number of years in other lower shore counties,” he told the commission. The discrepancy is magnified by the fact that in terms of school ratings and student test scores, Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) are consistently ranked at the top of the state. Dr. Steve Rorke, a teacher at Buckingham Elementary School, framed it as, “people have been paying for hamburger but getting filet mignon and some folks like to complain about that.” Those weren’t his words, Rorke clarified, but those of another teacher and a sentiment he said many share. There was some pushback against any pay increase for educators, however, especially since such an approval would necessitate all county employees receiving a similar raise as is the county policy. “Can we afford to continue to spend ourselves into a hole?” asked resident Laura Dover. “It looks like we’re running into trouble very shortly. And all Worcester County residents are experiencing an increased cost of living right now.” More: Continue reading below
Posted on: Thu, 08 May 2014 13:39:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015