The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
The number that got all the attention last week was $81.2 million - the expected shortfall in next year's spending plans for the city and school division.
A second figure stood out, too: $24.5 million.
That's what it would cost to give city and school employees 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent average pay raises, respectively. Those pay increases, the same as employees received this year, would represent 30 percent of the budget shortfall.
City and school division officials are doubtful those pay raises will hold.
"It's highly unlikely," said Dan Edwards, School Board chairman. "Six months from now, there are going to be a lot of people just happy to have jobs."
Mayor-elect Will Sessoms echoed Edwards.
"If you look in the private sector, a lot of people are not getting salary increases," he said. "The key thing is to make sure people keep their jobs."
The city has about 7,100 employees, and the school division has about 10,500.
The president of the Virginia Beach Education Association, which represents about 2,100 school employees, said the pay increases are needed to keep pace with school s across the country.
"We appreciate the budget shortfalls, but there are still significant salary issues that need to be addressed," Dominic Melito said.
The City Council and School Board will take up employee pay raises as part of budget planning in the spring. Final budgets are approved in May.
Some council and board members said it was unfortunate pay increases were built into the budget forecasts.
"I wish we started from a situation of how much can we do," Councilwoman Barbara Henley said, "instead of having it look like we're taking away."
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
In re Va Beach's raises
First, I work for a city that is losing people to VBch because they already pay better than we do. Secondly, one does not necessarily make more working for a city than in the private sector. My job pays 22,000 dollars a year. The job I do part time in the summer---for 8 weeks---NETS me 8,000 to 15,000. Why do I not do that job all the time? That's the only time the race track is open. Finally, to all of you who say you don't need the military in your town I have one word for you to bring back some memories---BRAC.
No Raises for City/School Employees
Under normal circumstances I could understand reducing the % of employee raises, but we hear this every year. I have NEVER heard, "Ya' know, we have extra money and we're going to give our hardworking, dedicated employees a decent raise."
Teacher salaries are closer to salaries in southwest Va, than to those in No. Va...but, our cost of living, while not as high as NoVa, is certainly higher than Bristol.
The school division has numerous "double-dippers'...retired administrators hired back by VBCPS at a consultant's pay (collecting retirement on an administrator's salary AND collecting a consultant's salary). We need a little more transparency (the buzzword of the day) from both the City Council and School Board. They spend millions on textbooks, but print out much of their own curriculum. Some textbooks are never used.
VBCPS and the City, is the largest employer in the Hampton Roads area (outside the military). For those employees to forfit a salary increase will impact spending and tax collections. Who will be walking on that crosswalk over Va Beach Blvd to shop at Pembroke Mall or to eat at a downtown chain restaurant?
The VBCPS's is lucky to have us!
Lucky to have a job...???
How is one "lucky to have a job" when having a job is part of one's civic responsibility? More like the city is lucky people have a job and are not living off the welfare system, off the taxpayer's money. I'd like to know why the private sector has better benefits than those working for the City of Virginia Beach. I have an idea, take the money from the pedestrian bridge and spread it to the employees. And since when does having degree make any person a better (or worse) cop? I never knew there were degrees in guns fights, drug busts and going home at night unharmed. Criminal Justice doesn't teach any of that. I do ride-a-longs as often as I can and there is a difference between what you read in policing books and what the streets are like. Thank you to all the underpaid cops keeping me safe while I sleep!!!!
dont' know from where you pull your "facts"
From the VBPD web site: "Typically, about half of the recruits selected for an academy class possess a bachelor's degree.... In recent years, approximately 40% of our recruits have had prior military experience." Considering the recent troubles VB has had with the justice department because of the too-difficult exams (basic arithmetic is apparently too much to ask), I don't foresee the situation improving. BTW, I am not arguing against pay raises for police officers, brave souls who are underpaid and under appreciated. It's just that your assertion that they all have degrees is untrue.
As for nurses, you might want to call Sentara. They seem to believe they have nurses without bachelor's degrees. Being an RN does not require a B.S Additionally, comparing nurses to service members is fallacious, as the former are not (typically) government employees. They work in the private sector, and the market at the moment favors nurses - there is a shortage nationwide.
hmmmm
So I guess on top of everything else, our city's great law enforcement officers should just be happy to have a job, eh? Happy with that 1% raise they got this year? After they daily put their lives on the line for YOU? some way to say "thanks"... same goes for the teachers. geez. they have to be parents/ guidance counselors/ security officers these days because parent have failed to be parents (novel idea), on top of making sure that all their little hellions pass the SOLs.
great way to show appreciation virginia beach.
your efforts should be applauded.
Pay raise this year?
I sure would like to know where the writer of this article gets their information. According to the 2 year budget plan that was approved by City Council, city employees such as myself are NOT getting the 2.5 or 3.5 percent merit increase that we would normally receive. I am due to receive my 0% increase this December. We were told that no one would receive a merit increase for the next 2 years! Two years without a raise sounds great, doesn't it? By this article, it sounds like it may be more than 2 years. I can't honestly say that that makes me too happy.
cs, I appreciate your comments
... but disagree. None of the nurses at any of the local hospitals are short of a B.S. in Nursing. Cops: I work with them every day and night, weekends, and holidays, when most of the local military population is "off duty." Va Beach cops these days have degrees and go through psyc screening that would wash out most of the local military population. That the military contribute to the "economic growth" of the area is B.S. Sure, franchises like Target and Sears reap the benefits, but the local employees only get part time, minimum wage, no benefit jobs from military spending. Get this: Oceana claims that each officer and sailor creates 1.9 jobs. Their spouse takes at least one of those jobs and their kids easily take up the other 0.9. Military spending does not create career jobs.
and then there's the civilian know nothing
Yes, 895000, you say "nobody around here makes money off the military but the car dealers" but I believe you underestimate the importance of the DoD to Tidewater's economy. James V. Koch, former Old Dominion University president, writes in his 2008 State of the Region report, "DoD spending is responsible for more than 70 percent of the economic growth of Hampton Roads since the start of the new millennium and perhaps as much as 45 percent of our gross regional product. ... The most important component of defense spending is military compensation, which accounts for 56 percent of spending in the region." Incidentally, not all nurses and police officers have a college degree - the NPD recruitment web site, in fact, lists a "High School Diploma or GED" as the requirement, which looks a lot like the military's enlistment prerequisite. And before you attack me, you should know that I was born and raised in Norfolk and had no connection to the military until after college. It just seems I understand the regional economy better than you.
Here comes the military know it all...
Yes, beandaddy, I for one do mind another military know-it-all overpaid blowhard butting into local economic discussions. I like the military. I came here as a small child as a Navy brat. I enjoy the daily air shows and the ships. But I am sick and tired of the small handful of military bellyachers like you who think the their presence is God's gift to Tidewater. From an economic standpoint, nobody around here makes money off the military but the car dealers. E6 an above make more than teachers, police, and nurses, all of whom have a college education and none of whom can afford local rents without a second job... but most of them work two jobs anyway. And the military do get cost of living increases; it's a matter of public record.
being prudent in lean times
With things being the way they are thanks to the democratic congress and especially Barney Frank, ignoring the problem two years ago, this is the smart and prudent thing to do. Otherwise like stated in the article people would have to lose jobs in order to keep the few with a pay raise. Everyone will be just fine until the banks and the all too important auto industry get themselves squared away.