CLAYTON 鈥 最新杏吧原创 County Executive Sam Page included raises for in his for next year.
The county relies too heavily on costly temporary workers to provide county services, Page said in a letter to the County Council dated Monday. Pay raises will help attract permanent workers and allow the county to shift away from temp contracts.
鈥淥utsourcing is more expensive than investing tax dollars into salary increases for current employees,鈥 Page wrote.
Staffing shortages have been a persistent problem for 最新杏吧原创-area governments competing in a tight job market. 最新杏吧原创 had to boost pay at 911 call dispatch centers last year. The St. Charles County Council voted Monday to increase pay in its highway department to woo new workers.
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最新杏吧原创 County, struggling to hire, has instead turned to temp agencies to provide medical care in the jail, and the council is considering a new contract for maintenance on county buildings. There鈥檚 also a proposal to contract out workers in the in the human services department.
A study of the county鈥檚 pay structure earlier this year recommended raises across the board.
The salary raises would cost $20 million. Page doesn鈥檛 recommend how to pay for it, although the council could decide to use money from the NFL Rams settlement, or it could raise taxes in the future, said spokesman Doug Moore.
Page also suggested moving federal pandemic relief money to the general fund, which is used to pay for most services such as police and public works. He suggests earmarking the money for several projects.
Council Chair Shalonda Webb, a Democrat from North County, said Tuesday the county made promises on how it would use that money 鈥 such as for derelict property demolition, infrastructure and social services 鈥 and it will stick to those promises.
鈥淭he council stands ready to act promptly to ensure these vital community projects move forward,鈥 Webb said.
That鈥檚 not the only problem: Relying on one-time pandemic relief money isn鈥檛 sustainable, Page wrote to councilmembers.
The county expects a nearly $46 million budget deficit next year in the county鈥檚 General Fund. Without major cuts to services, increased taxes or a combination of the two, the county will continue to spend more than it brings in.
In summer 2023, the county estimated it would finish off the year with a $44 million deficit, though budget officials later lowered that estimate to $27 million. This year, the county estimates a $39 million deficit.
Editor鈥檚 note: This story was updated Wednesday afternoon to correct the county executive鈥檚 position on using federal pandemic relief money.
Karen Smith, an office service coordinator in the 最新杏吧原创 County public works department, speaks at the 最新杏吧原创 County Council meeting on Aug. 13, 2024, about why she opposes a plan to outsource some county maintenance services for $2.6 million a year.
